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FORT   NEW   AMSTERDj \. NEW  YORK  1651 

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THE  BOROUGH 
OF  THE  BRONX 

1639  -  1913 

ITS  MARVELOUS 
DEVELOPMENT 
AND  HISTORICAL 
SURROUNDINGS 


HARRY  T.  COOK 

ASSISTED  BY 
NATHAN  J.  KAPLAN 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  AUTHOR 
AT  1660  BOONE  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK 
1913 


1 


COPYRIGHT.  1913 
BY 

HARRY  T.  COOK 

ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 


FOREWORD 


The  Purpose  of  this  book  is  to  tell  the  story  of  the  wonderful  rise  and  de- 
velopment of  the  Borough  of  The  Bronx.  It  is  a  story  of  heroic  endeavor, 
individual  self-denial,  slow  progress  and  final  triumph.  The  hardy  pioneers 
who  sacrificed  their  comforts  and  lives  to  wrest  the  wilderness  from  its 
savage  lords,  and  who  blazed  the  path  for  progress  and  civilization,  builded 
better  than  they  knew. 

The  teeming  Borough  today  is  a  noble  monument  to  the  greatness  of  the 
men  who  brought  it  into  being.  As  long  as  it  endures  their  achievements 
will  be  told  in  song  and  story. 

Here  will  be  found  a  record  of  the  extraordinary  growth  of  this  great 
Borough.  It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  work,  however,  to  give  a  detailed 
description  of  the  early  history  of  The  Bronx,  but  rather  a  brief  summary  of 
the  most  memorable  events  in  its  historical,  commercial  and  municipal 
development. 

It  has  been  the  aim  of  this  book  to  indicate  the  modern  development  and 
future  prospects  of  the  Borough  as  well  as  to  create  associations  of  Colonial 
and  Revolutionary  memories  with  which  almost  every  inch  of  ground  in  the 
Borough  is  hallowed. 

In  compiling  a  work  of  this  kind,  the  author  has  had  much  assistance  in 
gathering  material  and  making  it  accurate  and  authentic.  He  is  especially 
indebted  to  Mr.  Nathan  J.  Kaplan  for  assistance  rendered,  suggestions  made 
and  material  furnished;  also  to  Mr.  James  L.  Wells,  Mr.  Louis  F.  Haffen, 
Mr.  Walter  G.  Scott,  Mr.  Lindsay  M'Kenna,  and  Mr.  Randall  Comfort,  who 
furnished  many  of  the  photographs  illustrating  this  book — all  of  whom  have 
rendered  valuable  service  and  made  possible  the  publishing  of  this  book. 

Where  facts  could  not  be  obtained  from  local  residents,  the  author  con- 
sulted early  histories  and  documents  for  his  data. 

Chief  among  the  books  consulted  were  Bolton's  "History  of  Westchester 
County";  Scharf's  "History  of  Westchester  County";  Comfort's  "History  of 
the  Borough  of  the  Bronx";  Kelly's  "Historic  Guide  to  New  York";  and 
Jenkins'  "The  Sto7-y  of  The  Bronx."  The  last  mentioned  work  has  been  re- 
cently issued  and  contains  a  mine  of  historic  information  relative  to  the 
Borough.  Besides  these,  a  host  of  minor  books,  encyclopedias,  newspapers 
and  magazines  were  drawn  upon. 

HARRY  T.  COOK. 


Like  tall  monument  of  granite 
Standeth  Tackamuck,  the  mourner, 
Grieving  for  his  vanished  nation 
Long  years  thriving  in  their  vigor 
'Mong  the  Bronx  hills,  but  now  scattered 
As  dead  leaves  by  blasts  of  autumn. 

In  his  vision  sad  the  chieftain 
Sees  of  white  man's  arts  the  progress 
Through  the  long  moons — arts  transplanted 
From  the  distant  lands  of  sunrise 
To  grow  fair  in  western  tillage 
And  displace  the  Indian  customs. 

Out  of  stone  brought  from  the  quarries 
The  new  builder  rears  his  dwellings 
Towering  like  the  pines  of  forest, 
Steadfast  in  the  gales  of  winter, 
Better  than  the  deerskin  wigwam 
Gone  from  sight  upon  the  morrow. 

Through  the  waters  once  so  tranquil — 
On  their  placid  wave  reflecting 
All  the  blueness  of  the  heaven — 
Now  the  boats  of  the  bold  stranger, 
Every  birch  canoe  surpassing, 
Swiftly  dash,  like  the  strong  salmon. 

O'er  the  plains  the  steam  horse  rushes, 
Faster  than  the  flying  pony 
Ridden  once  by  fearless  warrior; 
In  the  air  above  the  tree  tops 
Soar  the  winged  ships  like  eagles, 
Mounting  to  the  highest  heaven. 

All,  0  Tackamuck,  has  altered 
Since  in  Bronx  woods  roamed  thy  people; 
Yet  their  setting  suns  are  followed 
By  a  better  morning's  sunrise 
For  the  Indian  who  surviveth 
And  for  him  who  is  thy  brother. 

'Tis  the  will  of  the  Great  Spirit 
Ruling  high  above  the  storm  clouds, 
Maker  of  this  earth  so  beauteous, 
With  its  satisfying  fountains 
Flowing  full  for  all  his  children, 
Both  the  Red  Man  and  the  Pale  Face. 

— A.  B.  Sanford. 


CONTENTS 

Chapter  Page 

I.    EARLY  HISTORY    1 

Henry  Hudson  Skirts  the  Western  Shore  of  The  Bronx,  1609 
— His  Encounter  with  the  Indians — Adrien  Block  Explores  the 
Eastern  Shore,  1614 — The  Settlement  and  Development  of  The 
Bronx — An  Intimate  Recital  of  Jonas  Bronck,  the  First  White 
Settler  to  Locate  There. 

II.    MORRISANIA    12 

Colonial  and  Revolutionary  Days — Story  of  the  Public-Spirited 
and  Patriotic  Morris  Family — Lewis  Morris,  Signer  of  the  Dec- 
laration of  Independence,  Who  Backed  up  His  Signature  by 
Joining  the  Army  with  His  Three  Sons — Gouverneur  Morris, 
Statesman  and  Diplomat — Landmarks  in  Morrisania — Founda- 
tion of  Village  in  1848. 

III.  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  BRONX    23 

What  Organized  and  Intelligent  Effort  has  Accomplished — The 
Rush  of  Capital  and  Steady  Flow  of  Population. 

IV.  A  CITY  WITHIN  A  CITY    30 

How  the  Child  Grew  up  a  Giant — The  Past  Speaks  in  Thunder 
Tones  of  the  Prosperity  Advancing  Years  Bring  to  the  Home, 

the   Merchant  and  the   Manufacturer — What   Rapid  Transit 
Stands  for  in  the  Growth  of  a  Metropolis. 

V.    BIG  INDUSTRIES    36 

Where  Men  and  Women  Shop — The  Facilities  Offered  by  Trac- 
tion Companies — Proposed  Improvements. 

VI.    THE  STORY  OF  GREAT  BRIDGES    45 

The  Water  Front  That  Invites  Big  Ships  from  Over  the  Seven 
Seas — Early  Highways. 

VII.  THE  PARKS    56 

The  Parks  Show  Nature  in  Her  Happiest  Mood — Broad  Acres 
Yield  to  Sport  and  Sentiment — Scenes  Hallowed  by  Sacrifices 

and  Struggles  of  Our  Ancestors — A  Page  of  Old  History — The 
Bronx  Beautiful  Society. 

VIII.  EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS    72 

How  the  Future  of  the  Child  is  Anticipated  and  the  Schools 
Turn  Out  the  Men  and  Women  of  Tomon-ow — Churches — How 

the  Spiritual  and  Moral  Welfare  is  Looked  After — Hospitals — 
Benevolent  and  Charitable  Institutions — Cemeteries. 

IX.    OAK  POINT    83 

The  "Cradle  of  Cuban  Liberty" — Wreck  of  the  British  Frigate 
Hussar. 

X.    HUNT'S  POINT   89 

Colonial  and  Revolutionary  Days — The  Story  of  Joseph  Rod- 
man Drake — -A  Visit  to  "God's  Little  Acre." 

XI.    THE  ROMANCE  OF  BESSIE  WARREN    102 

The  Daughter  of  Old  Simon  the  Landlord  of  the  "King's  Arms" 
— Her  Love  for  the  Dashing  Officer  Who  Was  Branded  a  British 
Spy — The  Maiden  Who  Did  Not  Forget  But  Answered  the  Sum- 


CONTENTS 


XIV. 


XV. 


mons  of  a  Beckoning  Spirit  and  Was  Taken  Over  the  Great 
Beyond. 

XII.    The  "NEUTRAL  GROUND"    106 

The  Indian  Cave — Leggett  and  His  Stolen  Mare — The  West- 
chester Guides — Barretto's  Point — Wooden    Armchairs  that 
Came  over  with  the  Pilgrim  Fathers. 

XIII.    NATHAN  HALE    112 

"I  regret  That  I  Have  But  One  Life  to  Lose  for  My  Country" 
— Capt.  Hale,  the  Patriot,  Scholar  and  Soldier,  Whose  Mission 
Brought  Him  Death  But  Spread  His  Name  on  the  Living  Pages 
of  History. 

CLASON'S  POINT    119 

The  Coney  Island  of  The  Bronx — Cornell's  Neck — Three  Clergy- 
men Who  Hid  in  a  Farm  House  in  the  Days  of  the  Revolution — 
The  Distinction  of  the  Ferris  Mansion  at  Zerega's  Point — The 
Fate  of  Anne  Hutchinson. 

THROGG'S  NECK    126 

"The  Lexingrton  of  Westchester" — How  American  Patriots  Re- 
pulsed the  Enemy  at  Throgg's  Neck — Colonel  John  Glover,  the 
Hero  of  Pell's  Point,  Who  Saved  Washington  from  Disastrous 
Defeat — "Spy  Oak,"  from  Whose  branches  a  Red-Coat  was 
Hanged. 

XVI.  CITY  ISLAND  AND  EASTCHESTER    133 

The  Blacksmith  Who  Refused  to  Shoe  a  Horse  on  Sunday — 
Scenes  That  Figure  in  the  Fight  for  Independence — President 
John  Adams  in  The  Bronx. 

XVII.  WEST  FARMS    141 

The  Homes  of  Notable  Men:  Foxhurst,  Brightside,  Sunnyside — 
The  Quaint  Presbyterian  Church  at  the  Graves  Where  Heroes 

Lie  Buried— The  Draft  Riots  During  the  Civil  War— "Wish- 
ing Rock,"  Where  the  Algonquin  Braves  Wooed  the  Fair  Stock- 
bridge  Maids. 

XVIII.    FORDHAM  MANOR   150 

Edgar  Allan  Poe  and  His  Cottage  at  Fordham,  Where  He  Won  a 
Niche  in  the  Hall  of  Fame  That  He  had  Not  Dreamed  of — Fred- 
erick Philipse  Whose  Ships  Brought  Fortunes  to  These  Shores. 

XIX.    HISTORIC  KINGSBRIDGE    158 

Fort  Independence  and  Other  Old  Fortifications — Story  of  Gen- 
eral Richard  Montgomery  the  Hero  of  Quebec. 

XX.    THE  VAN  CORTLANDTS    167 

The  Old  Public-Spirited  Colonial  Family  Who  Figured  Promi- 
nently in  American  History — Cortlandt  Manor  Founded,  1697 
— Pierre  and  Philip  Van  Cortlandt  Who  Scorned  England's 
Promises  and  Favors  and  Espoused  the  American  Cause. 

XXI.  PELHAM  AND  WESTCHESTER    173 

Thomas  Pell  the  Founder  of  Pelham  Manor — The  Glittering 
Pageant  of  Lord  Howe's  Troops  to  Impress  the  Westchesterites 
With  the  Strength  of  the  British  Army — History  of  St.  Peter's 
Church,  Westchester. 

XXII.  THE  OLD  TIMERS'  ASSOCIATION    183 

Men  Who  Have  Been  Residents  of  The  Bronx  for  Fifty  Years 

or  More — An  Interesting  Chapter  By  its  Historian,  Sidwell  S. 
Randall. 

INDEX    189 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 

Signing  the  Treaty  with  the  Indians  in  1642  at  the  Home  of  Jonas 


Bronck   Frontispiece 

Pudding  Rock    3 

Henry  Hudson  Monument    4 

Lydig  House,  Bronx  Park   '   7 

Lewis  Morris    12 

Gouverneur  Morris  Mansion    16 

Wm.  H.  Morris  Mansion    17 

Outhouse,  .Morris  Farm    18 

Home  Street,  Looking  East  from  Union  Avenue  in  1883   28 

Old  Vyse  Mansion    31 

Junction  149th  Street  and  Third  Avenue  .  . . .   37 

McKinley  Square    38 

Boston  Road,  South  from  166th  Street  in  1883    39 

Forest  Avenue,  South  from  Home  Street  in  1883    40 

King's  Bridge  over  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  in  1856    46 

Farmer's  Bridge  (Dyckman's)  over  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  in  1860    47 

Free  or  Farmer's  Bridge  in  1910    48 

Macomb's  Dam  Bridge  over  Harlem  River  in  1838    49 

Macomb's  Dam  Bridge  in  1861    50 

Macomb's  Mansion  Kingsbridge    51 

Willis  Avenue  Bridge   52 

Pell  Treaty  Oak,  Pelham  Bay  Park    58 

Van  Cortlandt  Vault,  Van  Cortlandt  Park    60 

Van  Cortlandt  Mansion,  Van  Cortlandt  Park    61 

Van   Cortlandt  Mills    62 

Tenth  and  Fifteenth  Milestones    63 

Hadley  House    64 

Indian  Monument,  Van  Cortlandt  Park    66 

Elephant  House,  Bronx  Park    67 

"Gunda,"  the  Famous  Elephant  of  Bronx  Park  Zoo    68 

Bird  Court,  Bronx  Park    69 

Lorillard  Mansion,  Bronx  Park    70 

Bathgate  Homestead    71 

New  York  University   74 

Morris  High  School    76 

Casanova  Mansion    84 

Subterranean  Passage  and  Cells    86 

LeggStt's  Lane    87 

Hunt's  Mansion    93 

Relics  Found  in  Hunt's  Mansion    94 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Hunt's  Point  Cemetery  in  1900    98 

Grave  of  Joseph  Rodman  Drake    99 

Slave  Burying  Ground    101 

Indian  Cave    107 

Mayflower  Chairs    109 

"Woodside"  Mansion    110 

The  Locusts    113 

Nathan  Hale  Monument  in  City  Hall  Park   116 

Page  from  Memorandum  Book    117 

Watson  Mansion    120 

Ferris  Mansion,  Zerega's  Point    121 

Split  Rock,  Pelham  Bay  Park   123 

Massacre  of  Anne  Hutchinson's  Colony    124 

Spy  Oak,  Pelham  Road    131 

Paul  Homestead    132 

Old  City  Island  Bridge   134 

St.  Paul's  Church,  Eastchester   137 

Old  Reid's  Mill,  Eastchester    139 

Old  Hunt  Inn    142 

West  Farms  Cemetery    144 

Isaac  Varian  Homestead    146 

Washington's  Gun  House    148 

Edgar  Allan  Poe    150 

Fordham  Dutch  Reformed  Church    154 

Gen.  Richard  Montgomery    158 

Bronze  Tablet,  Fort  Number  One    159 

Rev.  Isaac  Wilkins    173 

Lord  Howe  Chestnut    177 

St.  Peter's  Church,  Westchester   179 

Group  of  "Old  Timers"    184 


CHAPTER  I 


EARLY  HISTORY 

Henry  Hudson  Skirts  the  Western  Shore  of  The  Bronx,  1609 — His  Encounter 
with  the  Indians — Adrien  Block  Explores  the  Eastern  Shore,  1614 — 
The  Settlement  and  Development  of  The  Bronx — An  Intimate 
Recital  of  Jonas  Bronck,  the  First  White  Settler  to  Locate  There. 

The  Borough  of  The  Bronx  affords  a  history  probably- 
more  remarkable  and  more  unique  than  that  of  any 
of  her  sister  boroughs.  Its  numerous  historic  points  of 
interest,  both  civil  and  military,  make  it  a  center 
of  attraction  to  travelers  from  all  over  the  United 
States. 

The  important  part  The  Bronx  has  played  in  the 
making  of  this  country's  history  is,  however,  not  its 
only  claim  to  our  interest.  Of  even  greater  significance 
is  its  wonderful  and  rapid  progress.  There  is  not 
another  tract  of  land  in  the  whole  United  States  that 
can  boast  of  so  marvelous  a  growth  in  population  and 
in  development  within  the  past  ten  years.  Indeed,  so 
prodigious  has  been  its  increase  and  so  progressive  its  develop- 
ment, that  it  has  no  parallel  in  the  annals  of  municipal  government. 

Prior  to  the  white  man's  invasion,  this  region  was  inhabited 
by  various  tribes  of  Indians,  the  most  noted  of  which  were  the 
Mohegans,  Weckquaesgeeks,  Siwanoy,  Sint  Sines  (or  Sint  Sincks), 
Kitchenwonks  (or  Kitchawancs) ,  Manhattans,  Tankitekes  and  the 
Taekmucks.  They  were  the  same  in  their  general  habits  and 
ways  of  life,  but  there  was  a  marked  distinction  in  their  individual 
character. 

No  one  knows  where  the  North  American  Indian  originally 
came  from.  There  are  many  ingenious  theories  to  explain  his 
presence  on  this  continent.  The  most  plausible  and  the  one  most 
generally  accepted  is,  that  his  ancestors  found  their  way  from 
Asia  across  Behring  Strait,  many  centuries  ago,  and,  migrating 
southward,  gradually  overspread  North  and  South  America.  The 
latest  scientific  researches  corroborate  this  theory. 

l 


2 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Not  content  with  this,  scientists  go  still  further  back  to  what 
they  term  the  Glacial  Era,  when  a  mass  of  ice  covered  this  land 
and  the  only  inhabitant  of  which  was  the  "glacial  man,"  a  wild 
savage  whose  features  and  characteristics  resembled  those  of  the 
Esquimau. 

Geologists  who  have  made  a  careful  study  of  the  Glacial  Period, 
or  Ice  Age,  say  that  in  ages  past  nearly  all  of  North  America  north 
of  the  fortieth  parallel  was  covered  with  moving  ice  sheets,  or 
glaciers.  We  find  evidences  of  this  everywhere  even  in  our  own 
Borough,  where  rock  surfaces  have  been  ground  and  polished,  and 
great  boulders,  which  have  been  carried  along  hundreds  of  miles 
by  the  slowly  moving  glaciers,  have  found  lodgment  here  and  there. 
The  "Rocking  Stone,"  just  west  of  the  Buffalo  range  in  Bronx 
Park,  which  is  an  example,  has  been  for  years  one  of  the  curiosities 
of  that  region.  Tradition  has  it  that  sachems  and  medicine-men 
of  the  various  Indian  tribes  built  their  council-fires  about  this 
colossal  cube  of  pinkish  granite  and  held  there  many  a  weird 
seance. 

A  wager  was  once  made  between  a  neighboring  farmer  and 
the  foreman  of  the  Lydig  estate,  upon  which  the  stone  stood,  that 
the  combined  efforts  of  twenty-four  oxen  could  not  dislodge  it 
from  its  bed,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  a  single  person  push- 
ing from  the  right  direction,  can  easily  sway  it  back  and  forth. 
The  presence  of  the  rock  on  the  same  site  attests  the  futility  of 
the  effort. 

Another  gigantic  boulder  was  "Pudding  Rock,"  at  Boston 
Road  and  Cauldwell  Avenue,  just  below  East  One  Hundred  Sixty- 
sixth  Street.  This  ancient  landmark  gained  its  name  from  its 
resemblance  to  a  pudding  in  the  bag.  On  one  side  of  the  boulder 
nature  had  chisled  out  a  fireplace  which  the  Indians  used  when 
they  held  their  corn  feasts.  It  was  also  under  the  cool  shade  of  this 
mammoth  rock  that  the  tired  Huguenots  paused  to  rest  when  they 
made  their  weekly  pilgrimage  from  New  Rochelle  to  worship  at  the 
shrine  of  Old  Trinity  Church.  This  once  cherished  landmark  is  no 
more.  In  order  to  make  room  for  a  modern  residence,  it  has  been 
shattered  into  a  thousand  fragments  by  the  advancing  march  of 
civilization. 

Other  noted  boulders  that  have  been  generally  accepted  as 
relics  of  the  Pleistocene  period  are  "Black  Rock,"  on  Westchester 
Avenue,  just  above  the  old  Watson  estate  and  the  Westchester 


EARLY  HISTORY 


3 


Golf  Club,  "and  "Split  Rock,"  on  Prospect  Hill  Road,  in  Pel- 
ham  Bay  Park.  This  great  boulder  is  one  of  the  interesting 
sights  of  the  neighborhood,  and  stands  a  few  feet  south  of  Split 
Rock  Road,  not  far  from  the  city  line.  On  a  section  of  the  same 
historic  roadway  from  which  "Split  Rock"  may  be  seen,  are 
"Glover's  Rock"  and  "Jack's  Rock,"  the  former  emblazoned  with 


PUDDING  ROCK 


a  bronze  tablet  in  commemoration  of  the  brave  patriots  under 
Colonel  Glover,  who,  while  checking  the  advance  of  Howe's  army, 
enabled  Washington  to  reach  White  Plains  in  safety.  Many  others 
of  less  fame  are  scattered  thruout  the  Borough. 

From  an  historical  point  of  view,  The  Bronx  had  its  be- 
ginning September  13,  1609,  when  Henry  Hudson,  the  intrepid 
English  navigator,  flying  the  Orange,  White  and  Blue  of  the 
United  Provinces,  sailed  up  the  river  which  now  bears  his  name; 


4 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


altho  its  actual  history,  dates  with  the  arrival,  thirty  years  later, 
of  Jonas  Bronck,  its  first  white  settler. 

To  Hudson,  who  was  employed  by  the  Dutch  East  India  Com- 
pany, had  been  assigned  the  task  of  discovering  a  northwest  pas- 
sage to  the  Pacific — that  long-sought  sea-way  to  the  Indies,  for 
which  all  the  nations  and  the  traders  of  Europe  were  then  striv- 
ing. He  failed  in  this  undertaking,  but  he  brought  back  news  that 
was  of  far  greater  value  to  the  Dutch  nation  than  the  route  for 
which  he  had  been  in  search. 

The  Dutch  were  at  that  time  the  foremost  commercial  people 
in  the  world,  and  it  was  not  long  after  Hudson  had  made  known 
his  discovery  that  venturesome  Hollanders  began  to  make  their 


appearance  on  Manhattan 
trading  with  the  Indians 
try.  As  he  sailed  up  the 
the  western  shore  of  Man- 
narrow  strip  of  land,  thir- 
of  the  most  diversified 
beauty.  It  is  said  that 
with  the  wild,  picturesque 
eyes  that  he  anchored  the 
Duyvil  to  get  a  better  and 
chanted  land.  Hardly  had 
when  the  deep  solitude  of 
by  the  loud  whoops  of  In^ 
ridge  opposite  suddenly  be- 
horde  of  savages.  Closer 
fied  village  protected  by  a 
torians  tell  us,  was  the  In- 
which  was  situated  on  Ber- 
shore  of  Supyten 
From  the  ex- 
Moon  cre- 
evident 
dians  were 
know  what 
this  strange  ap- 


HENRY  HUDSON  MONUMENT 


Island  for  the  purpose  of 
and  of  exploring  the  coun- 
magnificent  river  skirting 
hattan,  Hudson  found  a 
teen  and  a  half  miles  long, 
scenery  and  great  natural 
Hudson  was  so  impressed 
country  spread  before  his 
Half  Moon  off  Spuyten 
closer  view  of  the  en- 
the  vessel  come  to  a  stop 
the  wilderness  was  broken 
dians,  and  the  wooded 
came  alive  with  a  wild 
inspection  disclosed  a  forti- 
strong  stockade.  This,  his- 
dian  village  of  Nipinchsen, 
rian's  Neck  on  the  north 
Duyvil  Creek, 
citement  the  Half 
_  ated,  it  was 
that  the  In- 
at  a  loss  to 
to  make  of 
parition  lying  at 
village.   Was  she 


anchor  off  their 
some  evil  spirit  the  medicine-men  of  some  hostile  tribe  sent  to  awe 
them,  or  was  she  a  stranger  from  some  distant  country?  But 


EARLY  HISTORY 


5 


whether  she  was  friend  or  foe,  their  curiosity  would  not  down,  and 
presently  they  put  out  from  the  shore  in  several  canoes  and  boldly 
headed  for  the  Half  Moon.  Their  dread  of  the  supernatural  powers 
the  strange  craft  might  possess  apparently  had  forsaken  them  and 
they  came  aboard  and  inspected  her  with  the  greatest  interest. 
As  they  started  to  return  to  their  canoes,  an  attempt  was  made 
to  detain  two  of  their  number.  The  Indians  vigorously  resented 
this  breach  of  hospitality.  Before  the  Half  Moon  got  under  way 
they  leaped  overboard  and  made  their  escape,  and  when  they 
reached  shore  they  shrieked  disdain  and  scorn  at  Hudson. 

It  may  have  been  a  coincidence,  but  it  is  an  established  fact 
that  the  next  stop  Hudson  made  after  leaving  Spuyten  Duyvil  was 
Yonkers,  then  the  Indian  village  of  Nappeckamok,  and  the 
present  northern  boundary  line  of  The  Bronx.  It  will  thus 
be  seen  that  he  practically  outlined  the  Borough.  Be  that  as  it 
may,  The  Bronx  citizens,  at  the  suggestion  of  Wm.  C.  Muschenheim, 
have  commemorated  that  event  by  erecting  a  beautiful  monument 
on  the  brow  of  the  hill  which  overlooks  the  scene  of  his  first 
anchorage. 

The  monument,  designed  by  Walter  Cook,  is  in  the  shape  of  a 
Roman  Doric  column,  100  feet  in  height,  and  it  stands  on  an 
elevation  of  200  feet  from  the  river.  The  shaft  is  to  be  sur- 
mounted by  a  sixteen-foot  statue  of  Henry  Hudson,  sculptured  by 
Karl  Bitter.  There  is  to  be  a  balcony  at  the  top  of  the  column, 
to  be  reached  by  means  of  a  spiral  stairway  within  the  shaft, 
from  which  a  magnificent  panoramic  view  of  The  Bronx  can 
be  had. 

Another  tribute  paid  to  the  memory  of  this  great  admiral  is 
the  Hudson  Memorial  Bridge  now  in  process  of  construction.  This 
magnificent  structure  is  to  span  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  at  its  con- 
fluence with  the  Hudson  River  and  is  to  connect  the  Boulevard 
Lafayette  with  the  beautiful  Spuyten  Duyvil  Parkway.  The  bridge 
was  to  have  been  constructed  by  1909,  the  three  hundredth  anni- 
versary of  Hudson's  explorations,  but  the  plans  did  not  meet  with 
the  approval  of  the  Municipal  Art  Commission. 

Hudson  ascended  the  river  to  Albany,  holding  communication 
with  the  Indians  along  the  way,  and  so  kind  and  friendly  was  their 
disposition  toward  him  that  he  wrote  of  them  as  the  "loving  peo- 
ple." On  September  23d,  he  began  his  return  voyage,  sailing 
thru  the  Highlands,  and  on  October  1st  he  anchored  the  Half 


G 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Moon  below  the  village  of  Sackhoes  on  the  site  of  which  Peekskill 
has  been  built.  Here  many  of  the  Indians  came  aboard  and  mar- 
veled at  the  size  of  the  huge  ship.  Among  the  visitors  was  a  chief 
who  persuaded  Hudson  to  accompany  him  to  his  village. 

"I  sailed  to  the  shore  in  one  of  their  canoes,"  Hudson  after- 
wards wrote  in  describing  his  reception,  "with  an  old  man  who 
was  the  chief  of  their  tribe,  which  consisted  of  forty  men  and 
seventeen  women.  There  I  saw  them  in  a  house  well  constructed 
of  oak  bark,  cylindrical  in  shape,  with  an  arched  roof,  and  it  had 
the  appearance  of  being  well  built.  It  contained  a  great  quantity 
of  maize  and  beans  of  last  year's  growth,  while  near  the  house 
there  lay,  for  the  purpose  of  drying,  enough  to  load  three  ships, 
besides  what  was  growing  in  the  fields.  On  our  coming  into  the 
house,  two  mats  were  spread  out  for  us  to  sit  upon,  and  imme- 
diately some  food  was  served  in  well  carved  red  wooden  bowls; 
two  men  were  also  at  once  dispatched  with  bows  and  arrows  in 
quest  of  game,  and  they  soon  returned  with  a  pair  of  pigeons  which 
they  had  killed.  They  likewise  killed  a  fat  dog  which  they  hastily 
skinned  with  shells  they  had  got  out  of  the  water."  Hudson  failed 
to  state  how  he  relished  "the  dog. 

When  Hudson,  on  October  2d,  passed  the  scene  of  his  first 
anchorage,  he  was  amazed  to  see  a  large  fleet  of  canoes,  swarmed 
with  red-skinned  warriors,  put  out  from  Shorackkappock,  now 
named  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek,  and  boldly  advancing  toward  the 
Half  Moon  evidently  intent  upon  avenging  the  attempted  kid- 
napping of  their  tribesmen  and  the  breaking  of  faith  with  them. 
When  they  came  within  bow  shot  they  showered  a  volley  of  arrows. 
This  was  the  signal  for  hostilities  to  begin.  The  leader  of  the 
Half  Moon  quickly  gave  the  order  to  fire.  Bullets  belched  forth 
from  the  vessel's  side,  killing  a  number  of  warriors  and  wounding 
many  more.  The  Indians,  astounded  at  the  havoc  wrought  by 
the  white  man's  weapons,  became  demoralized,  and  leaping  into 
the  water,  swam  frantically  for  shore.  Clear  of  all  danger,  the 
Half  Moon  now  re-entered  New  York  Bay. 

But  the  Indians  would  not  be  so  easily  subdued.  With  re- 
newed courage,  and  reinforced  by  several  hundred,  they  gathered 
at  what  is  now  known  as  Fort  Washington  Point  and  again  at- 
tacked the  vessel  as  she  was  floating  down  the  stream.  A  few 
musket  shots  soon  put  them  to  flight  with  the  loss  of  nine  of  their 
warriors. 


EARLY  HISTORY 


7 


There  has  been  much  discussion  as  to  the  origin  of  the  name 
of  Spuyten  Duyvil.  It  is  one  of  those  historical  mysteries  for 
whose  solution  so  many  delightful  theories  have  been  advanced  and 
there  is  no  likelihood  of  its  ever  being  satisfactorily  explained. 

We  learn  from  various  deeds  and  documents  of  the  Seven- 
teenth Century  that  the  Indian  name  for  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek 
was  Paparinemo.  The  earliest  reference  to  Spuyten  Duyvil 
under  that  name  is  found  in  a  remonstrance  by  Adrien  Van  Der 
Donck,  grantee  of  Yonkers,  which  was  presented  to  the  directors 
of  the  West  India  Company,  on  May  26,  1653.    In  this  remon- 


From  an  Old  Painting 

Lydig  House,  Bronx  Park 


strance  he  recites  that  his  grant  included,  besides  the  Yonkers 
valley,  a  convenient  valley  nearby  bordering  on  the  hill  behind 
the  Island  of  Manhattan  at  Paparinemo,  called  by  the  people 
"Speijt  den  Duyvel."  Riker  quotes  an  old  record,  dated  1672, 
which  refers  to  "Spuyten  Duyvil,  alias  the  Fresh  Spring."  "Spit- 
ting Devil,"  "Spouting  Devil,"  "Spiking  Devil,"  "Spikendevil," 
are  a  few  of  the  ways  in  which  the  name  occurs  on  ancient  maps 
and  in  old  documents. 

Many  will  no  doubt  recall  Washington  Irving's  legend  on  the 
origin  of  Spuyten  Duyvil — how  trumpter  Anthony  Van  Corlaer 
arrived  at  the  creek  one  stormy  day  to  summon  the  Dutch  farmers 


8 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


of  the  mainland  to  the  defence  of  New  Amsterdam,  and  found  no 
ferryman  daring  enough  to  venture  across.  "The  wind  was  blowing 
a  perfect  hurricane,  which  sent  the  waters  swirling  like  a  mael- 
strom. For  a  short  time  Anthony  vapored  like  an  impatient  ghost 
upon  the  brink,  and  then  bethinking  himself  of  the  urgency  of  his 
errand,  took  a  hearty  embrace  of  his  stone  bottle,  swore  most 
valorously  that  he  would  swim  across  'in  spite  of  the  devil'  (en 
spijt  den  Duyvel),  and  daringly  plunged  into  the  stream.  Luck- 
less Anthony!  Scarce  had  he  been  buffeted  half  way  across  the 
stream,  when  he  was  observed  to  struggle  violently  as  if  battling 
with  the  spirit  of  the  waters — instinctively  he  put  his  trumpet  to 
his  mouth,  and  giving  a  vehement  blast,  sank  forever  to  the 
bottom." 

Altho  this  is  entirely  a  work  of  the  imagination,  and  has 
no  basis  in  fact,  it  seems  as  good  a  solution  of  the  mystery  as  any 
other  offered. 

Four  years  after  the  English  navigator  sailed  up  the  Hudson, 
one  Adrien  Block,  while  cruising  up  the  Long  Island  Sound  in 
the  first  ship  ever  built  by  white  men  on  Manhattan  Island,  landed 
somewhere  along  the  eastern  shore  of  The  Bronx, — very  likely  on 
the  island  which  bears  his  name.  Shortly  after  Hudson  returned  to 
Holland  with  the  Half  Moon,  a  company  of  merchants  in  Amster- 
dam sent  out  five  vessels  loaded  with  goods  to  be  traded  with  the 
Indians  in  America  for  furs.  Among  the  skippers  of  this  fleet 
was  Adrien  Block,  commanding  a  ship  called  the  Tiger.  The  other 
ships  having  gone  to  various  parts  of  the  new  continent,  Block, 
who  had  visited  Manhattan  Island  in  1610  or  1611,  decided  that 
the  lower  end  of  the  island  was  a  good  place  to  land  and  trade. 

Some  time  during  the  latter  part  of  1613  the  Tiger  caught 
fire,  and  was  completely  destroyed.  In  order  to  continue  their 
trading  and  exploration  of  the  surrounding  country,  the  Captain 
and  crew  immediately  started  to  build  a  new  vessel.  It  may  have 
been  that  the  necessary  rigging  and  iron  work  for  this  new  vessel 
had  been  saved  from  the  Tiger,  for  the  work  progressed  so  rapidly 
that  she  was  finished  and  launched  early  in  the  following  spring. 
The  ship  was  called  the  Onrust  ("Restless"),  and  was  built 
on  the  site  of  what  is  now  Fraunce's  Tavern.  Not  only  was  this 
the  first  sailing  vessel  built  on  Manhattan  Island,  but  it  was  the 
third  one  constructed  by  white  men  on  the  American  continent. 
The  first  had  been  built  a  little  more  than  one  hundred  years  be- 


EARLY  HISTORY 


9 


fore  by  Spaniards  in  California,  and  the  second,  in  1608,  by  a  party 
of  Englishmen  on  the  Kennebec  River.  But  nothing  ever  developed 
from  Block's  visit  to  The  Bronx. 

The  honor  of  being  the  first  white  settler  to  locate  in  The 
Bronx  belongs  to  Jonas  Bronck,  who  came  from  Hoorn,  Holland, 
in  July,  1639,  with  his  friend  Jochem  Pietersen  Kuyter,  a  Danish 
capitalist. 

The  arrival  of  their  ship,  De  Brant  von  Trogen  ("The  Fire 
of  Troy"),  which  they  had  chartered  together  at  Amsterdam  was 
hailed  by  the  colony  as  a  great  public  good,  and  coming  well  rec- 
ommended from  the  Fatherland,  they  experienced  little  difficulty 
in  obtaining  land  upon  which  to  settle. 

Kuyter  settled  on  the  Manhattan  side  of  the  Harlem  River 
upon  a  tract  of  nearly  four  hundred  acres  of  fine  farming  land 
of  which  he  had  obtained  a  grant  from  the  East  India  Company. 
The  farm  stretched  along  the  Harlem  River  and  ran  south  to  West 
One  Hundred  Twenty-seventh  Street. 

Bronck,  however,  crossed  the  Harlem  River  and  settled  in 
what  is  known  today  as  "Old  Morrisania."  Here  he  erected  a  stone 
dwelling,  a  barn,  several  tobacco  houses  and  two  barracks  for  his 
servants  and  farm  hands,  whom  he  had  brought  over  with  his 
own  family.  Among  these  were  Pieter  Andriessen  and  Laurens 
Duyts,  fellow  passengers  to  whom  Bronck  had  advanced  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-one  florins  to  pay  their  board  upon  the  ship  and 
who  had  been  hired  by  Bronck  to  help  clear  the  five  hundred-acre 
tract  which  he  had  purchased  from  the  Indian  sachems  Ranachqua 
and  Tackamuck.  This  tract,  according  to  old  records,  lay  between 
the  Great  Kill  (Harlem  River)  and  the  Aquahung  (Bronx  River). 
In  return  for  their  labor  Andriessen  and  Duyts  were  to  have  the 
privilege  of  planting  tobacco  and  maize  upon  Bronck's  land,  bu" 
only  on  condition  that  they  would  break  up  a  certain  quantity  of 
new  land  every  two  years  for  the  planting  of  grain,  and  then  the 
spot  which  they  had  cultivated  was  to  be  returned  to  Bronck.  In 
this  way  the  land  was  cultivated  free  of  cost  to  the  owner. 

Bronck  called  his  home  Emmaus.  It  was  situated  near  the 
present  Harlem  River  station  of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  and 
Hartford  Railroad  at  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-second  Street.  An 
adjacent  river  (the  Aquahung)  became  known  as  Bronck's  (later 
shortened  to  Bronx)  River,  and  in  recent  times  the  name  was  ap- 
plied to  the  whole  Borough. 


10 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


That  Bronck  was  well  pleased  with  the  purchase  of  his  prop- 
erty is  shown  by  a  letter  he  penned  to  Pieter  Van  Alst,  a  relative 
in  the  Old  World,  in  which  he  speaks  about  his  land  in  the  most 
glowing  terms.  "The  invisible  hand  of  the  Almighty  Father," 
he  writes,  "surely  guided  me  to  this  beautiful  country,  a  land 
covered  with  virgin  forest  and  unlimited  opportunities.  It  is  a 
veritable  paradise  and  needs  but  the  industrious  hand  of  man  to 
make  it  the  finest  and  most  beautiful  region  in  all  the  world." 
Could  Bronck  rise  out  of  his  grave  today  he  would  see  how  well 
his  prophecy  has  been  fulfilled. 

Bronck  was  evidently  a  man  of  culture  and  refinement.  His 
scholarly  ability  was  displayed  in  the  treaty  of  peace  which  he 
drafted  and  which  was  signed  in  his  house  on  March  28,  1642,  by 
the  Dutch  and  by  the  Weckquaesgeek  chiefs.  This  compact  was 
faithfully  adhered  to  until  his  death  in  1643.  Bronck  left  a  widow 
and  one  son,  Pieter  Jonassen  Bronck.  The  widow,  Antonia  Slag- 
boom,  married  Arendt  Van  Corlear,  Sheriff  of  Rensellaerswyck, 
who  sold  Bronck's  estate  to  Jacob  Jans  Stoll,  and  removed  with 
him  to  Albany,  on  the  "Flatts."  After  Van  Corlear's  death  his 
widow  lived  in  Schenectady. 

Frank  C.  Bronck,  of  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.,  has  in  his  possession 
a  copy  of  the  inventory  of  Bronck's  personal  effects  taken  in  May, 
1643,  and  several  other  papers.  R.  Bronck  Fish,  an  attorney  in 
Fultonville,  N.  Y.,  owns  a  silver  cup  which  belonged  to  Jonas 
Bronck. 

There  has  been  much  discussion  as  to  the  genealogical  origin 
of  Jonas  Bronck.  Many  historians  adhere  to  the  belief  that  he 
was  Dutch,  of  Swedish  extraction,  probably  from  the  fact  that  he 
came  to  this  country  under  the  protection  of  the  Dutch  flag. 

The  "Magazine  of  American  History,"  January,  1908,  tells  us 
that  Jonas  Bronck  "was  one  of  those  worthy  but  unfortunate  Men- 
nonites  who  were  driven  from  their  homes  in  Holland  to  Denmark 
by  religious  persecution.  He  .  .  .  gained  rapid  promotion  in 
the  army  of  the  King  of  Denmark,  who  was  very  tolerant  towards 
the  sect  known  as  Mennonites.  He  served  as  commander  in  the 
East  Indies  until  1638,  when,  with  others  of  the  persecuted  he  set 
sail  for  America,  and  his  name  first  appears  on  the  records  the  fol- 
lowing year,  when  he  received  a  large  grant  of  land  in  Westchester 
County  from  the  Sachems  of  Ranachqua." 

In  the  "Bronx  Borough  Record,"  December  20,  1902,  Wm.  R. 


EARLY  HISTORY 


11 


Bronk,  of  the  seventh  generation  of  that  family,  writes:  "Of  his 
[Jonas  Bronck's]  history  prior  to  1638  little  is  definitely  known. 
It  has  been  asserted  that  he  was  of  Swedish  or  Danish  ancestry, 
but  there  is  little  or  no  direct  proof  of  this.  .  .  .  The  name 
Bronck  is  a  well-known  Dutch  name,  and  the  probabilities  all  point 
in  the  direction  of  Bronck's  having  been  of  Holland  descent." 

Riker  in  his  History  of  Haarlem  says  that  "Bronck  was  of 
a  family  long  distinguished  in  Sweden  though  he  himself  was 
probably  from  Copenhagen  where  some  of  his  family  lived."  The 
writer  is  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  Bronck  comes  of  Danish  stock, 
because  of  his  intimate  association  with  Kuyter  and  other  Danes, 
and  the  fact  that  the  majority  of  the  books  in  his  library  were 
Danish. 

The  Rev.  R.  Anderson,  pastor  of  the  Danish  Church  of  Our 
Saviour,  in  Brooklyn,  who  has  devoted  much  time  to  tracing  the 
genealogical  tree  of  Jonas  Bronck,  is  of  the  opinion  that  he  was  a 
Dane  and  gives  some  plausible  reasons  for  forming  this  belief. 
"After  the  Reformation,"  says  Mr.  Anderson,  "we  find  in 
Denmark  several  priests  of  the  name  of  Bronck.  The  name  is 
written  Bronck,  Brynck,  Brunck,  and  sometimes  Bronckel;  but 
Brunck  is  most  common  in  Danish." 


CHAPTER  II 


MORRISANIA 

Colonial  and  Revolutionary  Days — Story  of  the  Public-Spirited  and  Patriotic 
Morris  Family — Lewis  Morris,  Signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
Who  Backed  up  His  Signature  by  Joining  the  Army  with  His  Three 
Sons — Gouverneur  Morris,  Statesman  and  Diplomat — Land  Marks  in 
Morrisania — Foundation  of  Village  in  1848. 

FOR  a  quarter  of  a  century  the  tract  of  land  upon 
which  Jonas  Bronck  had  settled  was  owned  at 
different  times  by  several  of  the  Dutch  pioneers 
and  traders.  In  1668  it  came  into  the  possession 
of  Samuel  Edsall,  a  beaver  maker  of  New  Amster- 
dam. He  held  it  for  two  years,  then  sold  it  on 
August  10,  1670,  to  Colonel  Lewis  Morris  and 
Captain  Richard  Morris,  both  officers  in  Crom- 
well's army,  who  found  refuge  in  Barbados  upon  the  restoration 
of  Charles  II.  The  Morrises  were  of  Welch  descent,  and  their 
patronym  was  derived  from  Maur  Rys,  or  Rys  the  Great,  which  title 
was  conferred  upon  Rys,  the  companion  of  Strongbow,  for  valiant 
service  rendered  in  the  latter's  expedition  against  Ireland. 

Lewis  went  to  the  West  Indies,  where  he  purchased  a  large 
estate  and  became  prominent  in  the  political  affairs  of  Barbados. 
He  was  later  joined  by  his  younger  brother,  Richard,  who  married 
there  a  wealthy  lady  named  Sarah  Pole,  from  whom  he  received 
large  sugar  plantations. 

Both  brothers  agreed  to  invest  in  land  in  New  York,  and  in 
1668  Richard  and  his  wife  removed  to  the  Dutch  Colony,  where  the 
Captain  purchased  Broncksland  from  Samuel  Edsall. 

Captain  Richard  Morris  and  his  wife  both  died  in  1672, 
leaving  behind  them  an  infant  son  named  Lewis.  His 
uncle,  Colonel  Lewis  Morris,  then  came  from  Barbados  to  New 
York  in  1673,  and  held  the  estate  in  trust  for  the  child.  He  re- 
sided in  Morrisania,  but  he  purchased  some  thirty-five  hundred 
acres  of  land  in  Monmouth  County,  New  Jersey,  upon  which  he 

12 


MORRISANIA 


13 


located  iron  mills.  When  the  Dutch  in  1673  were  again  masters 
of  New  York,  Colonel  Lewis  Morris  was  forced  to  surrender  his 
share  of  the  Morrisania  property  to  the  victorious  Hollanders  on 
the  ground  that  he  was  an  inhabitant  of  Barbados;  but,  upon 
the  recapture  of  New  Amsterdam  by  the  English  in  1765,  it  was 
restored  to  its  rightful  owner. 

In  1676,  Governor  Andros  granted  to  Colonel  Morris  a  royal 
patent  to  Broncksland  and  adjacent  meadows  to  the  extent  of 
about  1,920  acres,  in  consideration  of  which  the  Colonel  was 
required  to  pay  to  James  the  Duke  of  York  an  annuity  of  five 
bushels  of  wheat.  A  deed  confirming  the  grant  was  subsequently 
presented  to  Colonel  Lewis  Morris  by  Shahash  and  five  other  Indian 
sachems. 

Upon  the  death  of  Colonel  Morris  in  1691,  the  property  was 
inherited  by  Lewis  Morris,  his  nephew,  who  by  a  royal  patent 
issued  on  May  8,  1697,  by  Governor  Fletcher  in  the  name  of  Wil- 
liam III,  became  the  first  lord  of  the  manor  of  Morrisania. 

Colonel  Lewis  Morris  was  a  Quaker  and  he  could  not  tolerate 
what  he  termed  his  nephew's  "many  and  great  miscarryages" 
toward  him  and  his  wife.  He  accused  his  nephew  of  "adhering 
and  advising  with  those  of  bad  life  and  conversation."  He  con- 
sequently made  his  "dearly  beloved  wife,  Mary  Morris,"  sole  ex- 
ecutrix of  his  last  will  and  testament.  But  as  the  Colonel  left 
no  issue,  and  as  his  wife  died  before  him,  the  estate  devolved 
upon  the  disinherited  nephew,  Lewis  Morris,  Senior. 

Like  most  youngsters,  past  and  present,  who  in  their  early 
youth  give  promise  of  becoming  the  most  wicked  of  men,  but  dur- 
ing their  maturity  turn  out  to  be  virtuous  and  upright,  Lewis 
Morris  became  a  model  man.  He  achieved  the  distinction  of  being 
the  first  governor  of  New  Jersey  and  the  first  native-born  Chief 
Justice  of  New  York. 

Chief  Justice  Morris  upheld  the  rights  of  the  people  and 
became  the  foe  of  tyrannical  royal  officials.  In  1733  he  rendered 
a  decision  adverse  to  the  interests  of  Governor  Cosby.  The 
Governor  accused  the  Chief  Justice  of  having  treated  him  "with 
slight,  rudeness,  and  impertinence." 

Whereupon  Morris  replied : 

"If  judges  are  to  be  intimidated  so  as  not  to  dare  to  give  any  opinion 
but  what  is  pleasing  to  a  governor,  and  agreeable  to  his  private  views,  the 
people  of  this  province — who  are  very  much  concerned  both  with  respect  to 


14 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


their  lives  and  fortunes  in  the  freedom  and  independency  of  those  who  are 
to  judge  them — may  possibly  not  think  themselves  so  secure  in  either  of  them 
as  the  laws  and  his  Majesty  intend  they  should  be.  .  .  .  As  to  my  in- 
tegrity, I  have  given  you  no  occasion  to  call  it  in  question.  I  have  been  in  this 
office  about  twenty  years.  My  hands  were  never  soiled  by  a  bribe;  nor  am  I  con- 
scious to  myself,  that  power  or  poverty  hath  been  able  to  induce  me  to  be  par- 
tial in  the  favor  of  either  of  them;  and  as  I  have  no  reason  to  expect  any 
favor  of  you,  so  I  am  neither  afraid  nor  ashamed  to  stand  the  test  of  the 
strictest  inquiry  you  can  make  concerning  my  conduct.  I  have  served  the 
public  faithfully,  according  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge;  and  I  dare,  and  do, 
appeal  to  it  for  my  justification." 

For  this  act  of  "impertinence,"  however,  he  was  dismissed 
from  the  bench  by  Governor  Cosby,  and  was  replaced  by  the  aris- 
tocratic royalist,  James  De  Lancey.  Morris  then  ran  for  repre- 
sentative in  the  Assembly  in  opposition  to  William  Forster,  who 
was  supported  by  the  Governor.  Despite  Cosby's  unfair  tactics 
of  depriving  the  Quakers  of  their  vote,  Morris  was  elected  by  a 
majority  of  eighty,  thus  indicating  that  the  people  were  on  his  side. 

When  Lewis  Morris,  Second,  called  Senior,  died  in  1746  at 
the  age  of  seventy-three,  the  estate  was  divided  into  two  portions, 
the  Mill  Brook  having  served  as  the  dividing  line.  The  section 
east  of  the  Mill  Brook  was  given  over  to  his  son,  Lewis,  Third, 
called  Junior;  while  the  remainder  of  the  manor  was  bequeathed 
to  his  wife,  Isabella  Graham.  Upon  the  death  of  the  latter,  Lewis 
Morris,  Junior,  who  served  as  a  judge  in  several  courts,  and  as 
representative  of  Westchester  County  in  the  New  York  Legisla- 
ture, came  into  possession  of  the  entire  estate. 

Judge  Lewis  Morris  had  three  sons  by  his  first  wife,  Elizabeth 
Staats:  namely,  Lewis,  called  the  Signer;  Staats  Long,  a  general 
in  the  British  army,  and  the  Honorable  Richard  Morris;  and  by 
his  second  wife,  Sarah  Gouverneur,  he  had  one  son,  the  Honorable 
Gouverneur  Morris,  and  four  daughters. 

Upon  the  death  of  Judge  Lewis  Morris,  Junior,  in  1762,  the 
estate  was  again  divided  into  two  portions.  The  section  west  of 
the  Mill  Brook  was  bequeathed  to  Lewis  Morris,  who  was  later 
a  signer  of  that  great  human  document — the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence,—  and  the  easterly  portion  descended  to  Staats  Long 
Morris,  afterwards  a  Lieutenant  General  in  the  British  army 
and  a  Governor  of  Quebec.  Upon  the  removal  of  Staats  Long 
Morris  to  Canada,  his  portion  of  the  patrimony  was  purchased  in 
1786  by  the  Honorable  Gouverneur  Morris,  the  distinguished 


MORRISANIA 


15 


patriot  and  statesman,  the  half-brother  of  Staats  Long  and  Lewis 
Morris. 

General  Lewis  Morris,  the  last  manor-lord  of  Morrisania, 
was  born  at  Old  Morrisania  in  1726.  He  was  graduated  from 
Yale  College  in  1746.  During  the  period  prior  to  the  Revolution 
much  of  his  time  was  passed  in  the  pursuit  of  agriculture  on  his 
estate  at  Morrisania,  where  he  surrounded  himself  with  the  ele- 
gance and  luxury  of  the  period.  At  the  beginning  of  the  Revolu- 
tion he  espoused  the  Whig  cause  and  early  in  the  war  was  made  a 
Brigadier-General  in  the  Continental  army.  In  1775  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress  from  New  York, 
and  was  sent  to  Pittsburgh  to  secure  the  allegiance  of  the  Indians 
to  the  cause  of  the  colonists.  He  was  in  attendance  at  the  meeting 
of  the  Colonial  Congress  of  the  Province  of  New  York  at  White 
Plains,  July  9,  1776,  when  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was 
ratified  by  that  body.  Thruout  Washington's  Westchester 
County  campaign,  and  at  the  battle  of  White  Plains  (October  28, 
1776)  he  was  in  active  service.  He  also  took  an  important  part 
in  the  succeeding  winter  campaign  in  New  Jersey,  being  present 
at  the  battles  of  Trenton  and  Princeton.  His  three  eldest  sons  were 
enlisted  in  the  American  army  at  the  same  time. 

General  Morris  died  in  1798.  The  manor-house  of  Lewis 
Morris,  known  as  "Christ's  Hotel,"  stood  west  of  Brook  Avenue 
near  the  Mill  Brook,  until  it  was  torn  down  two  decades  ago  by 
the  New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford  Railroad,  which  had 
acquired  the  property. 

Gouverneur  Morris,  the  most  illustrious  of  the  Morris  family, 
was  born  at  Morrisania,  January  31,  1752.  In  accordance  with  the 
wish  of  Lewis  Morris,  Junior,  as  expressed  in  his  will,  dated  No- 
vember 19,  1760,  namely,  that  "his  son  Gouverneur  Morris  may 
have  the  best  education  that  is  to  be  had  in  England  or  America," 
Gouverneur  was  sent  to  King's  College  (now  Columbia)  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1768,  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  His  ora- 
tion on  Commencement  Day  won  great  applause  and  a  silver 
medal. 

In  1775  he  was  a  delegate  to  the  Provincial  Congress  of  New 
York,  and  on  July  8th  of  that  year  a  member  of  the  Committee 
of  Public  Safety  of  Westchester  County.  He  was  one  of  the  com- 
mittee appointed  to  draft  the  Constitution  of  the  State  of  New 
York,  which  was  adopted  in  1777. 


16 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


He  was  but  twenty-seven  years  of  age  when  he  was  appointed 
by  Congress  as  one  of  a  committee  of  five  to  assist  General  Wash- 
ington in  the  reorganization  of  the  army.  The  committee  spent 
three  months  with  the  Commander-in-Chief  at  Valley  Forge,  and 
as  a  result  many  reforms  were  instituted.  It  was  shortly  after 
this,  in  May,  1780,  that  he  was  thrown  from  his  carriage,  and 
his  left  leg  so  badly  maimed  that  it  had  to  be  amputated.   He  was 


GOUVERNEUR  MORRIS  MANSION 


a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  of  1787,  which  framed 
the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  to  him  was  assigned  the 
literary  revision  of  that  masterful  instrument.  During  the  French 
hostilities  he  was  American  Minister  to  France,  and  he  remained 
in  Paris  during  the  whole  period  of  the  Reign  of  Terror. 

Tn  1799  he  was  chosen  Senator  from  New  York  and  served 
until  1803.  He  was  closely  associated  with  Governor  George 
Clinton  in  the  building  of  the  Erie  Canal,  and  was  an  intimate 


MORRISANIA 


17 


friend  of  General  Alexander  Hamilton.  Gouverneur  Morris  was 
with  the  great  statesman  during  his  last  moments,  and  he  delivered 
his  funeral  oration.  In  1809,  at  the  age  of  fifty-seven,  he  married 
Anne  Cary  Randolph,  a  sister  of  John  Randolph  of  Roanoke,  and 
a  lineal  descendant  of  Pocahontas.  The  Gouverneur  Morris  man- 
sion, built  from  the  design  of  a  French  chateau,  stood  nearly 
opposite  Hell  Gate,  and  east  of  what  is  now  St.  Ann's  Avenue. 
It  was  here  that  he  entertained  Washington  and  numerous  French 


Wm.  H.  Morris  Mansion 


notables,  including  Louis  Philippe,  afterward  King  of  the  French. 
Here,  too,  Lafayette  was  entertained  in  1824  by  his  son,  Gouvern- 
eur Morris,  Junior.  Until  this  historic  manor-house  was  razed  a 
few  years  ago  to  make  room  for  the  terminal  of  the  New  York,  New 
Haven  and  Hartford  Railroad,  its  wide  stairway  bore  marks  that 
were  said  to  have  been  made  by  Gouverneur  Morris's  wooden  leg 
as  he  hobbled  to  bed. 

Below  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-seventh  Street,  west  of  Third 
Avenue,  stands  the  old  stone  Gate  House.    This  is  the  oldest 


IS 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


building  in  Morrisania  and  the  only  one  that  antidates  the  forma- 
tion of  the  village  of  Morrisania  in  1848. 

The  Wm.  H.  Morris  mansion  at  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-fifth 
Street,  Findlay  and  Teller  Avenues,  was  built  in  1816,  and  was 
recently  purchased  by  the  Daughters  of  Jacob;  it  is  to  be  re- 
modeled for  a  synagog. 

Just  west  of  the  old  mansion  stands  a  quaint  stone  structure 


Outhouse,  Morris  Farm 


dating  from  1792.    It  was  probably  an  outhouse  of  the  old  farm. 

Upon  the  death  of  Gouverneur  Morris  in  1816,  and  of  his 
wife  in  1837,  the  property  east  of  Mill  Brook  passed  into  the  hands 
of  their  son,  Gouverneur  Morris,  Esq.,  the  pioneer  railroad  builder. 
In  memory  of  his  mother,  Anne  Cary  Randolph,  he  erected  in  the 
year  1841,  at  St.  Ann's  Avenue  and  East  One  Hundred  and  Fortieth 
Street,  a  church  known  since  as  St.  Ann's  Episcopal  Church.  In 
the  vaults  beneath  the  old  church  and  adjacent  thereto,  lie  interred 
the  remains  of  the  members  of  this  illustrious  family  whose  mag- 


MORRISANIA 


19 


nanimous  patriotic  services  for  our  country  have  caused  their 
names  to  be  placed  high  on  the  American  Roll  of  Honor. 

On  a  tablet  in  the  recess  chancel  is  inscribed  the  following : 

"The  Relics  of  the  Honorable  Gouverneur  Morris,  A  name  illustrious 
in  his  country's  annals,  were  laid  by  his  faithful  widow." 

A  tablet  on  the  right  side  of  the  chancel  bears  the  following 
inscription : 

GOUVERNEUR  MORRIS, 
born  February  9,  1813, 
died  August  20,  1888, 
Founder  of  this  Parish, 
To  which  he  gave  church  and  lands  for  the 
glory  of  God  and  in  memory  of  his  mother. 

Morrisania  was  the  scene  of  many  a  skirmish  during  the 
Revolutionary  War.  General  William  Heath,  who  was  in  command 
of  a  picket  stationed  in  that  section,  relates  in  his  Memoirs  an 
interesting  incident  that  occurred  there.  A  chain  of  sentinels 
had  been  planted  near  Bronx  Kills,  the  water  passage  between 
Morrisania  and  Montresor's  (now  Randall's)  Island.  The  sen- 
tinels on  the  American  side  had  been  ordered  not  to  fire  at  the  sen- 
tinels on  the  British  side  unless  the  latter  began;  but  the  latter 
were  so  fond  of  beginning  that  shots  were  frequently  exchanged. 
During  an  interchange  of  shots  a  British  officer  was  wounded. 
An  officer  with  a  flag  soon  came  down  the  creek  and  informed  the 
Americans  that  if  their  sentinels  fired  any  more  the  commanding 
officer  of  the  island  would  cannonade  Colonel  Morris's  house,  in 
which  the  officers  of  the  picket  were  quartered.  General  Heath 
sent  back  the  reply  that  "the  American  sentinels  were  instructed 
not  to  fire  unless  they  were  fired  on ;  that  such  was  their  conduct, 
and  as  to  cannonading  Colonel  Morris's  house,  they  could  act  their 
pleasure." 

For  a  time  all  firing  ceased  until  a  raw  Scotch  sentinel  was 
planted  who  soon  discharged  his  musket  at  an  American  sentinel. 
The  shots  were  instantly  returned;  whereupon  a  British  officer 
called  to  the  American  officers  observing  that  he  thought  there 
was  to  be  no  more  firing  between  the  sentinels.  When  informed 
that  the  offender  was  on  his  side,  he  immediately  apologized  and 
relieved  the  Scotchman.  Thereafter  both  sides  were  so  civil  that 
when  a  British  sentinel  sent  over  to  the  Americans  for  a  chew  of 


20 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


tobacco,  he  got  a  thick  quid,  and,  after  taking  his  bite,  he  sent  the 
remainder  back. 

The  little  semi-circular  redoubt  still  stands  in  the  southeast 
corner  of  Woodlawn  Cemetery,  and  is  pointed  out  as  having  been 
erected  under  the  personal  direction  of  General  Heath.  Its  guns 
once  commanded  the  crossing  over  the  Bronx  River  at  Williams's 
Bridge  where  the  original  Boston  Post  Road,  laid  out  in  1672, 
wound  up  from  King's  Bridge  and  extended  on  thru  Eastchester 
and  New  Rochelle,  and  so  on  to  Boston. 

Major  Henly,  a  promising  young  officer  of  General  Heath's 
staff,  lost  his  life  in  an  attack  on  the  British  garrison  on  Mont- 
resor's  Island,  September  24,  1776.  Colonel  Jackson,  the  com- 
mander of  the  party,  led  the  way  in  his  boat,  under  cover  of  dark- 
ness, not  heeding  the  firing  of  the  pickets.  The  officers  and  their 
men  jumped  ashore  and  rushed  upon  the  camp;  but,  overpowered 
by  superior  numbers,  they  were  obliged  to  retreat  to  their  boats. 
The  Americans  lost  twenty-two  men,  including  Major  Henly.  The 
attack  failed  because  the  officers  of  the  remaining  boats  did  not 
follow  the  boat  of  their  commander.  For  this  cowardice,  they 
were  afterwards  court-martialled  and  cashiered. 

Pending  its  decision  during  the  session  of  1790  as  to  the  loca- 
tion of  a  permanent  seat  of  government,  Congress  received  a 
petition  headed  by  the  signature  of  Gouverneur  Morris,  which 
strongly  urged  the  selection  of  Morrisania  as  the  national  capital. 
Many  excellent  reasons  were  submitted  for  the  adoption  of  this 
site — the  well-drained  condition  of  the  land,  and  consequent  free- 
dom from  swamps;  and  the  proximity  to  so  great  an  industrial 
and  political  center  as  New  York.  But  the  proposal  at  once  aroused 
all  the  political  prejudices  and  petty  jealousies  of  various  sections 
of  the  country.  In  order  to  quiet  this  feeling  and  restore  har- 
mony thruout  the  land,  Philadelphia  was  picked  as  a  compro- 
mise, since  it  was  thought  that  the  selection  of  this  site  would 
cause  least  friction. 

Various  efforts  were  made  to  induce  people  to  settle  in  The 
Bronx.  In  1841,  Jordan  L.  Mott,  a  pioneer  from  Manhattan, 
bought  a  small  tract  of  land,  bounded  by  Third  Avenue,  One 
Hundred  and  Thirty-fourth  Street  and  the  Harlem  River.  Here 
he  erected  a  foundry  and  built  an  attractive  residence.  He  then 
extended  his  possessions  and  encouraged  others  to  settle  there. 
He  called  the  section  owned  by  him  Mott  Haven,  and  the  canal 


» 

MORRISANIA 


21 


extending  from  the  Harlem  River  to  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
eighth  Street,  commenced  by  him  in  1850,  the  Mott  Haven  Canal. 

It  was  not  until  1848,  however,  that  any  concerted  effort  was 
made  to  colonize  The  Bronx.  A  number  of  citizens,  chiefly  me- 
chanics and  laborers,  had  met  at  various  times  to  discuss  the 
advisability  of  building  homes  of  their  own  on  land  within  com- 
muting distance  of  the  city  and  possessing  at  the  same  time  the 
advantages  offered  by  the  country.  It  was  also  figured  that 
the  children  would  derive  incalculable  benefit  from  the  pure  air 
and  the  quiet  healthful  environment  so  woefully  lacking  in  the 
city. 

Tho  the  project  met  with  ridicule  from  the  skeptical  and 
timid,  the  enthusiasm  of  the  leaders  of  the  movement  did  not 
wane.  Following  the  third  meeting,  a  committee  of  three,  consist- 
ing of  Jordan  L.  Mott,  Charles  W.  Haughton,  and  Nicholas  Mc- 
Graw,  was  selected  to  act  merely  as  purchasing  agents  of  the 
would-be  settlers. 

After  a  long  search,  it  was  found  that  the  Gouverneur  Morris 
property,  embracing  two  hundred  acres  of  well-drained  land,  was 
the  most  suitable  for  their  purpose.  The  purchase  price  was 
$37,622 — or  about  $173  an  acre.  When  the  avenues  and  streets 
were  laid  out,  there  were  167  acres  for  development. 

Within  two  years  the  land  was  clear  of  debt  and  its  name  was 
changed  from  New  Village  to  Morrisania,  in  honor  of  its  former 
landlord.  The  total  population  of  this  village  in  1850  was  961 
persons  in  149  dwellings.  Between  1856  and  1868  no  less  than 
eighteen  distinct  communities,  including  Mott  Haven,  Port  Morris, 
East  and  West  Morrisania,  Eltona,  Woodstock,  Bensonia,  High- 
bridgeville,  Claremont,  Belmont,  Grovehill,  and  Melrose  grew  up 
around  Morrisania,  and  were  incorporated  with  it  into  one 
village. 

One  of  the  curiosities  of  Morrisania  was  the  "Huckleberry 
Road"  with  its  bob-tail  cars.  Old  residents  never  tire  of  relating 
some  of  the  peculiar  experiences  they  went  thru  when  this 
ancient  horse-car  line  was  in  operation.  It  is  said  that  whenever 
the  driver  hit  up  the  horses  to  urge  them  on  to  greater  speed,  the 
car  would  jump  the  track;  whereupon  the  conductor  would  request 
the  gentlemen  to  alight  and  help  lift  the  car  back  upon  the  tracks. 
The  stoppages  were  so  frequent  that  the  passengers  found  ample 
time  to  pick  huckleberries  along  the  road. 


22 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Prior  to  the  advent  of  horse  cars,  a  stage  coach  would  carry 
passengers  to  the  Harlem  Bridge,  where  they  could  continue  down- 
town by  means  of  either  the  Third  Avenue  horse  cars  or  the 
steamboat. 

Today  the  brilliantly  lighted  cars  of  the  Union  Railroad  Com- 
pany, whose  splendid  trolley  system  may  well  stand  as  a  model 
for  other  and  less  enterprising  communities,  has  been  one  of  the 
chief  factors  in  the  upbuilding  of  The  Bronx. 


CHAPTER  III 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  BRONX 

What   Organized   and   Intelligent  Effort  has  Accomplished — The   Rush  of 
Capital  and  Steady  Flow  of  Population. 

RIOR  to  its  annexation  to  New  York  City  in  1874,  the 
section  which  then  comprised  The  Bronx  lying  west 
of  the  Bronx  River,  covered  an  area  of  but  12,317  acres 
and  consisted  of  fifty-two  sparsely  settled  villages  and 
hamlets  with  an  approximate  population  of  33,000.  In 
1895,  the  territory  east  of  the  Bronx  River,  comprising  14,500  acres 
was  annexed  to  the  Borough,  making  a  total  of  26,817  acres  in  all, 
or  42  square  miles  of  territory. 

Since  the  Borough's  annexation  to  New  York  City  in  1874, 
when  it  became  familiarly  known  as  the  "North  Side,"  its  growth 
has  been  marvelous.  From  a  population  of  33,000  it  grew  to  430,- 
980  in  1910,  as  shown  by  the  latest  census.  This  is  an  increase  of 
more  than  1,300  per  cent  in  thirty-six  years — a  record  probably 
never  equalled  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

Since  the  Federal  census  was  taken  in  1910  the  Health  De- 
partment estimated  that  the  population  of  The  Bronx  by  the  middle 
of  this  year  (1913)  would  be  583,981.    If  the  same  increase  con- 
tinues for  the  next  seven  years — and  it  is  safe  to  say  it  will — The. 
Bronx  should  have  by  1920  a  population  of  at  least  a  million. 

The  following  table,  based  on  the  Federal  census  of  1910,  has 
been  compiled  by  a  well-known  statistician.  It  shows  the  estimated 
population  of  The  Bronx  up  to  and  including  the  year  1920. 


Year  Bronx 

1910    430,980 

1911    483,000 

1912    531,000 

1913    590,000 

1914    640,000 

1915    690,000 

1916    740,000 

1917    790,000 


23 


24 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


1918 
1919 
1920 


840,000 
890,000 
950,000 


In  compiling  these  figures,  a  thoro  study  of  the  conditions 
likely  to  be  affected  by  the  new  rapid  transit  routes  was  carefully 
considered.  While  it  is  generally  conceded  that  railroads,  more 
than  any  other  combination  of  forces,  are  responsible  for  the  civil- 
ization and  growth  of  a  country,  experience  has  proved  that  its 
success  is  not  always  assured  unless  it  has  the  encouragement  and 
aid  of  an  efficient  and  wide-awake  administration.  And  in  this 
respect  The  Bronx  has  been  most  fortunate;  for  there  can  be  no 
question  that  the  rapid  development  and  present  prosperity  of 
the  Borough  is  the  direct  consequence  of  former  Borough  President 
Haffen's  able  and  efficient  administration  and  wisely  directed 
efforts,  as  well  as  of  the  present  Borough  President,  Cyrus  C. 
Miller's  intelligent  management  of  local  affairs. 

The  North  Side  Board  of  Trade  and  the  Taxpayers'  Alliance 
of  the  Borough  of  The  Bronx,  the  latter  having  thirty-seven  local 
associations  affiliated  with  it,  have  both  taken  a  lively  interest  in 
the  welfare  of  the  Borough,  and  thru  their  united  efforts  many 
public  improvements  have  been  pushed  to  a  successful  issue. 

The  North  Side  Board  of  Trade  was  organized  March  6,  1894. 
At  the  time  of  its  formation  the  population  of  The  Bronx  was 
about  90,000,  but  its  influence  was  soon  manifested  and  it  has 
since  been  an  important  factor  in  the  commercial  development  of 
The  Bronx.  With  the  consolidation  in  the  Greater  City,  its  growth 
has  been  steady  and  continuous,  and  today,  it  is  one  of  the  most 
influential  bodies  in  the  upper  section  of  Greater  New  York.  Its 
membership  numbers  more  than  five  hundred  men  who  represent 
the  very  heart  of  the  business  life  of  the  great  North  Side.  The 
Board  has  helped  to  obtain  many  public  improvements  for  the 
people  of  this  Borough;  nothing  escapes  their  vigilance  where 
the  public  welfare  is  concerned.  On  October  28,  1911,  the  corner- 
stone of  the  new  North  Side  Board  of  Trade  building,  situated 
at  Third  and  Lincoln  Avenues  and  East  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
seventh  Street,  was  laid  by  the  late  Mayor  Gaynor.  This  is  the 
most  magnificent  building  in  the  Borough.    The  officers  are: 

William  W.  Niles,  President. 

Charles  W.  Bogart,  Treasurer. 

Charles  E.  Reid,  Secretary. 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  BRONX 


25 


Vice  Presidents:  Ernest  Hall,  Joseph  A.  Goulden,  Adolph  G. 
Hupfel,  John  J.  Amory,  Charles  W.  Bogart,  John  Claflin,  Henry 
Lewis  Morris,  Louis  F.  Haffen,  Charles  A.  Berrian,  J.  Homer 
Hildreth. 

Board  of  Directors:  Edward  B.  Boynton,  Thomas  J.  Quinn, 
J.  Clarence  Davies,  John  De  Hart,  Herbert  A.  Knox,  Charles  E. 
Reid,  Dr.  William  A.  Boyd,  Michael  J.  Sullivan,  Richard  W.  Law- 
rence, Louis  F.  Haffen,  Matthew  Anderson,  Israel  C.  Jones,  Fred 
W.  Hottenroth,  Louis  F.  Kuntz,  Martin  Walter,  J.  Harris  Jones, 
Douglas  Mathewson,  Thomas  J.  Higgins,  Arthur  Knox,  Cornelius 
J.  Earley,  John  F.  Steeves,  Olin  J.  Stephens,  James  L.  Wells,  Ernest 
Hall,  Charles  W.  Bogart,  Joseph  A.  Goulden,  William  W.  Niles, 
J.  Homer  Hildreth,  William  S.  Germain,  Theodore  Trimmer. 

The  Taxpayers'  Alliance  was  founded  in  1894,  shortly  after 
the  establishment  of  local  self-government  in  The  Bronx,  and  owes 
its  formation  to  the  Twenty-third  Ward  Property  Owners'  Asso- 
ciation, now  known  as  the  "Bronx  County  Property  Owners' 
Association."  This  worthy  body  believed  that  by  cooperating  with 
other  local  improvement  associations,  and  by  uniting,  it  would 
accomplish  more  good  for  the  uplifting  of  The  Bronx  than  by 
working  independently.  Thru  the  earnest  efforts  of  Colonel 
Goulden,  a  meeting  was  arranged  at  the  Fordham  Club,  on  the 
evening  of  December  15,  1894,  to  which  representatives  from  all 
the  other  local  associations  were  invited.  The  consolidation  plan 
met  with  instant  favor,  and  as  a  result  the  Taxpayers'  Alliance 
of  the  Borough  of  The  Bronx  was  launched,  with  Colonel  Goulden 
as  its  first  president. 

The  six  original  associations  forming  this  alliance  were: 
The  Twenty-third  Ward  Property  Owners'  Association. 
The  Fordham  Club. 

West  Farms  Local  Improvement  Association. 

Kingsbridge  Property  Owners'  Association. 

Property  Owners'  Association  Vyse  Estate  and  vicinity. 

The  Fox  Estate  Property  Owners'  Association. 
The  combined  membership  of  these  six  organizations  num- 
bered about  600.    Today  the  Alliance  has  thirty-seven  local  asso- 
ciations affiliated  with  it,  and  a  membership  of  more  than  8,000. 
The  list  of  the  associations  is  made  up  as  follows: 

Twenty-third  Ward  Taxpayers'  Association. 

Fordham  Club. 


2(3 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Belmont  Association. 

Unionport  Association. 

West  Morrisania  Club. 

West  Farms  Association. 

Woodlawn  Association. 

Westchester  Association. 

Bedford  Park  Association. 

City  Island  Association. 

Van  Nest  Association. 

Westchester  Improvement  Company. 

Borough  Club. 

Casanova  Association. 

Springhurst  Association. 

Fordham  Association. 

Morris  Heights  Association. 

Tremont  Association. 

Williamsbridge  Improvement  Association. 

Wakefield  Association. 

Vyse  Estate  Association. 

Mapes  Estate  Association. 

East  Morrisania  Property  Owners'  Association. 

East  Tremont  Taxpayers'  Association. 

Kingsbridge  Association. 

Throgg's  Neck  Association. 

Protective  Association,  Mapes  Estate. 

Riverside  Association. 

Spuyten  Duyvil  Association. 

Fox  Estate  and  Vicinity  Association. 

Claremont  Heights  Property  Owners'  Association. 

City  Island  Board  of  Trade. 

Highbridge  Taxpayers'  Association. 

Tax  and  Rentpayers'  Alliance  of  Wakefield. 

Mosholu  Parkway  North  Association. 

Van  Cortlandt  Association. 
The  officers  of  the  Taxpayers'  Alliance  are : 
President,  George  M.  S.  Schulz. 

Vice  Presidents:  Harry  Robitzek,  James  B.  Powers,  William 
W.  Niles,  A.  C.  Hottenroth,  Charles  W.  Bogart,  Louis  F.  Haffen, 
Col.  Jos.  A.  Goulden,  William  S.  Germain,  Max  Just. 

Treasurer,  Carl  W.  Schmidtke. 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  BRONX 


■2.- 


Secretary,  Philip  J.  McKinley. 

That  the  Taxpayers'  Alliance  has  been  of  incalculable  benefit 
to  the  citizens  of  The  Bronx  no  one  will  deny.  There  has  not 
been  a  public  improvement  in  which  the  hand  of  the  Alliance 
cannot  be  traced.  From  its  very  inception,  the  chief  aim  of  the 
organization  has  been  to  further  the  general  interest  and  promote 
the  welfare  of  the  Borough,  and  to  attain  the  greatest  good  for  the 
greatest  number. 

The  Association  of  the  Bar  of  the  County  of  Bronx,  Inc.,  is 
the  only  lawyers'  organization  in  the  new  county.  It  was  incorpo- 
rated in  1902  as  the  Association  of  the  Bar  of  the  Borough  of 
the  Bronx  in  the  City  of  New  York,  the  name  was  changed  in 
February,  1913. 

It  was  a  committee  of  the  Association  that  drafted  the  first 
proposed  Bronx  County  Act  back  in  1904.  Since  then  this  body 
has  steadily  kept  in  the  fighting  line.  When  the  present  act  became 
a  law  in  1912,  a  committee  of  seven  was  delegated  for  the  inevitable 
legal  struggle  to  maintain  the  constitutionality  of  the  legislation. 
The  Association,  thru  its  committee,  was  the  sole  advocate  of 
the  entire  act  before  the  courts.  When  the  decision  went  contrary, 
the  question  was  speeded  to  the  Court  of  Appeals.  There  the  brief 
filed  on  behalf  of  the  Association  was  largely  embodied  in  the 
opinion  that  preserved  Bronx  County. 

The  membership  is  150  and  increasing.  Any  lawyer  in  good 
standing,  residing  or  practising  in  the  City  of  New  York,  is  eligible 
for  membership.  Admission  fee  and  dues  are  moderate.  Advan- 
tages offered  are  many,  including  the  use  of  a  large  law  library 
in  the  comfortable  headquarters  at  1187  Washington  Avenue.  A 
regular  meeting  is  held  the  second  Friday  evening  of  the  month, 
at  which  there  is  discussion  and  action  on  matters  of  importance 
to  the  profession  and  the  county.  Prominent  men  frequently  at- 
tend and  deliver  addresses.  Active  officials  and  committees  keep 
the  general  spirit  keyed  high. 

The  former  presidents  are  W.  Stebbins  Smith,  J.  Homer  Hil- 
dreth,  Arthur  C.  Butts,  Douglas  Mathewson,  and  Charles  P.  Hallock. 

The  officers  are: 

President:  Louis  0.  Van  Doren. 

Vice  Presidents:  Maurice  S.  Cohen  and  John  Davis. 

Secretary:  J.  Philip  Van  Kirk. 

Treasurer:   Arthur  L.  Howe. 


28 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Chairman  of  Executive  Committee :  Henry  K.  Davis. 

Looking  back  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  comparing  conditions 
then  with  those  of  today,  we  cannot  help  but  marvel  at  the  re- 
markable growth  of  the  Borough  in  commerce,  population  and 
achievement  during  that  short  period.  From  what  was  formerly 
a  slow,  slumbering  unprogressive  community,  there  has  sprung 


Home  Street,  Looking  East  from  Union  Avenue  in  1883 


up  a  great,  vigorous  and  flourishing  cosmopolitan  community, 
which  today,  if  it  were  a  separate  and  distinct  city,  would  rank  in 
population  as  the  seventh  city  in  the  United  States,  and  the  third 
in  the  State  of  New  York. 

What  may  be  heralded  as  the  birth  of  the  new  Bronx  began 
in  1895,  when  the  maps  of  the  streets  and  highways  west  of  the 
Bronx  River  were  completed.  The  Bronx  at  that  time  contained 
about  100,000  inhabitants.    In  five  years  the  population  doubled, 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  BRONX 


29 


the  census  report  of  1900  showing  that  there  were  200,507  persons 
residing  in  the  Borough.  This  gain,  however  enormous,  but  faintly 
foreshadowed  what  was  to  come,  when,  in  the  next  decade — the 
period  of  1900-1909 — was  disclosed  an  increase  of  230,473  in- 
habitants. Thus  The  Bronx  had  more  than  quadrupled  its  popula- 
tion in  less  than  the  number  of  years  allotted  to  a  generation.  This 
period  of  1900-1909  has  been  in  every  respect  one  of  unparalleled 
progress  and  prosperity.  It  is  a  history  crowned  with  auspicious 
events,  such  as  the  opening  of  the  subway,  building  of  tunnels, 
construction  of  bridges  over  the  Harlem  and  other  waterways,  and 
City  Borough  undertakings  of  the  first  rank.  The  projected 
Broadway-Lexington  Avenue  Subway  will  undoubtedly  cause  the 
denizens  of  congested  Manhattan  to  migrate  to  the  more  spacious 
and  comfortable  Bronx. 

In  building,  The  Bronx  has  made  greater  progress  than  any 
other  community  in  the  country,  except,  perhaps,  Seattle.  In 
1911,  this  Borough  was  the  third  greatest  building  community  in 
the  United  States,  Manhattan  ranking  first  and  Chicago  second. 

From  1881  to  1910,  there  have  been  $360,000,000  invested  in 
Bronx  building  operations,  and  from  1881  to  1890,  $27,000,000 
were  expended;  $93,000,000  in  the  period  from  1891  to  1900,  and 
$240,000,000  from  1901  to  1910.  The  outlay  for  1911  was  $22,- 
837,060,  and  that  of  1912,  $36,049,870. 

While  the  building  record  last  year  was  of  unusual  propor- 
tions, experts  assert  their  belief  that  more  buildings  will  be  erected 
in  The  Bronx  this  coming  year  than  ever  before.  From  January 
1  to  March  18,  1913,  plans  for  204  new  buildings,  at  a  cost  of 
$5,624,416,  and  alterations  on  392,  at  a  cost  of  $244,467,  have 
been  filed. 

The  assessed  valuation  of  the  taxable  real  estate  in  the  Borough 
has  also  shown  tremendous  strides.  In  round  numbers  the  figures 
are  as  follows:  In  1880,  $23,000,000;  in  1890,  $45,000,000;  in  1900, 
$123,000,000;  in  1910,  $494,000,000;  in  1911,  $605,000,000;  and 
in  1912,  $616,486,898. 


CHAPTER  IV 


A  CITY  WITHIN  A  CITY 

How  the  Child  Grew  up  a  Giant — The  Past  Speaks  in  Thunder  Tones  of  the 
Prosperity  Advancing  Years  Bring  to  the  Home,  the  Merchant  and  the 
Manufacturer — What  Rapid  Transit  Stands  for  in  the  Growth  of  a 
Metropolis. 

\RVELOUS  as  has  been  the  growth  of  The  Bronx  in 
the  last  decade,  it  is  very  little  compared  to  what 
the  near  future  has  in  store,  awaiting  the  comple- 
tion of  new  subways  and  rapid  transit  lines.  With 
better  transit  facilities,  territory  in  outlying  sec- 
tions, heretofore  inaccessible,  will  be  at  the  disposal  of 
men  of  moderate  means  who  will  build  homes  which  may  be 
easily  reached  from  their  places  of  business  in  the  metropolis. 
New  York  City  is  daily  becoming  more  congested  and  the  overflow 
of  population  must  inevitably  find  its  way  to  nearby  suburbs.  It 
is  only  a  question  of  a  few  years  when  the  entire  lower  section  of 
Manhattan  will  be  devoted  exclusively  to  business. 

That  the  Borough  of  The  Bronx  will  draw  the  greater  share 
of  this  influx,  needs  no  prophet  to  foretell.  The  close  proximity 
of  The  Bronx  to  Manhattan,  and  the  many  substantial  bridges 
which  span  the  Harlem  River  and  practically  extend  the  streets  of 
Manhattan  into  The  Bronx,  give  it  decided  advantages  over  the 
other  boroughs.  Moreover,  it  is  admirably  situated ;  it  covers  an 
area  double  that  of  Manhattan;  and  it  needs  but  the  magic  touch 
of  better  transportation  facilities  to  make  it  the  Empire  City  of  the 
future.  This  is  no  idle  boast,  for  The  Bronx  is  on  the  brink  of 
another  evolution,  and  history  is  sure  to  repeat  itself.  Few 
dreamed  thirty  years  ago  that  the  region  north  of  the  Harlem 
River,  known  in  the  earlier  days  as  the  "Annexed  District,"  would 
ever  be  the  giant  city  it  is  today.  And  it  will  continue  to  exceed 
the  expectations  of  even  the  flightiest  prognosticators,  as  it  is  at 
present  only  at  the  beginning  of  its  greatness. 

Men  of  capital  and  keen  business  foresight  who  have  made 
a  study  of  realty  conditions  say  that  there  has  never  been  a  more 

30 


A  CITY  WITHIN  A  CITY 


31 


opportune  time  to  buy  real  estate  in  The  Bronx  than  the  present; 
particularly  now  that  the  routes  of  the  new  subway  and  rapid 
transit  lines  have  been  definitely  settled.  Ground  has  already  been 
broken  by  the  city  for  its  Lexington  Avenue  route,  which  when 
completed,  will  tap  a  territory  unequaled  in  beauty  and  in  salutary 
and  sanitary  conditions.  Nothing  but  the  upheaval  of  the  conti- 
nent or  other  remote  catastrophe  which  no  man  can  foresee  can 
check  the  stupendous  improvements  planned  for  the  next  decade. 


Old  Vyse  Mansion 


Let  us  for  a  moment  glance  into  the  future  and  see  what 
wonderful  transformation  is  to  take  place  in  The  Bronx  during 
the  intervening  period.  What  a  wonderful  vision  we  behold ! 
Thruout  the  Borough,  from  the  Harlem  River  on  the  south  to 
the  city  line  on  the  north,  the  Sound  on  the  east,  and  the  Hudson 
River  on  the  west,  we  see  a  complete  network  of  subways,  elevated 
and  surface  roads,  which  spread  out  like  the  all-embracing  arteries 
of  the  body. 

The  countless  acres  of  unimproved  property  which  for  years 


32 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


lay  dormant  in  the  outlying  districts  are  mapped  out  into  tree-lined 
streets  and  avenues.  Thousands  of  cozy  and  attractive  little  homes, 
which  rent  at  low  figures,  are  now  occupied  by  men  of  moderate 
means,  whose  wish  it  is  to  live  in  a  quiet,  select  neighborhood 
where  the  children  may  enjoy  the  blessings  of  pure  air,  good  schools 
and  delightful  parks  and  playgrounds. 

The  forty  miles  of  navigable  water  front  are  filled  with  pleas- 
ure and  merchant  craft  of  all  tonnage — a  great  boon  to  both  the 
manufacturer  and  the  consumer,  for  they  can  receive  and  ship 
their  products,  either  crude  or  manufactured,  by  either  rail  or 
water,  with  diminished  cost  of  handling,  and  with  increased  profits 
to  both.  Electricity  has  banished  smoke  from  the  city  and  the 
great  towers  of  the  central  town  and  college  hall  dazzle  in  the 
sunlight.  There  is  a  constant  flutter  in  the  air  of  the  aeroplanes 
and  airships  carrying  passengers  and  mail.  All  about  us  are 
bewildering  changes.  Industry  and  transportation  have  been  revo- 
lutionized ;  and  progress,  peace  and  contentment  reign  everywhere. 

Does  not  this  vision  of  future  development  inspire  enthusiasm, 
devotion  and  patriotism  in  the  citizen  of  the  Borough  of  The 
Bronx? 

That  The  Bronx  has  grown  beyond  all  precedent,  either  in 
this  State  or  elsewhere,  during  the  sixteen  years  since  its  con- 
solidation, needs  no  further  comment.  Eleven  years  hence,  it  will 
rank  with  the  sixteen  world  cities  having  a  population  of  a  million 
or  over. 

Up  to  April  19,  1912,  The  Bronx  was  the  only  one  of  the  five 
boroughs  comprising  the  City  of  New  York  that  was  not  a  separate 
and  distinct  county.  On  that  date  an  act  was  passed  in  the  Legis- 
lature creating  the  County  of  Bronx,  subject  to  a  referendum  to 
the  voters  of  the  Borough.  The  question  "Shall  the  territory  within 
the  Borough  of  The  Bronx  be  erected  into  the  County  of  Bronx?" 
was  accordingly  submitted  to  the  voters  at  the  general  election  in 
November,  1912,  and  a  majority  of  the  votes  cast  were  in  favor  of 
the  creation  of  the  county. 

The  constitutionality  of  the  act  was  questioned  on  the  grounds 
that  the  Legislature  had  no  power  to  submit  the  question  to  the 
voters,  since  New  York  State  being  a  representative  democracy, 
the  people  of  the  State  act  thru  their  representatives  in  the  Leg- 
islature; and  secondly,  that  the  question  should  have  been  sub- 
mitted to  the  voters  of  the  entire  County  of  New  York,  instead  of 


A  CITY  WITHIN  A  CITY 


33 


only  to  the  voters  of  the  Borough  of  The  Bronx.  The  act  was 
declared  unconstitutional  by  the  Appellate  Divisions  of  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  the  State  of  New  York,  but  the  decision  was  re- 
versed, on  March  21,  1913,  by  the  Court  of  Appeals. 

In  an  administrative  way,  the  creation  of  the  County  of  Bronx 
means,  that  The  Bronx  will  have  its  own  courts;  its  own  offices 
for  recording  deeds,  mortgages,  and  other  papers  affecting  real 
and  personal  property;  its  own  offices  where  wills  of  its  residents 
can  be  probated;  its  own  Sheriff's  and  County  Clerk's  offices. 

The  offices  filled  under  the  Bronx  County  Act  at  the  last 
election  were:  County  Judge,  L.  G.  Gibbs,  for  a  term  of 
six  years;  Surrogate,  G.  M.  Schulz,  six  years;  District  Attorney, 
Francis  Martin,  four  years;  Sheriff,  J.  F.  O'Brien,  four  years; 
County  clerk,  J.  V.  Ganley,  four  years;  and  Register,  Edward 
Polak,  four  years.  The  salary  of  each  of  these  is  $10,000.  There 
will  be  a  Commissioner  of  Jurors,  at  a  salary  of  $5,000  a  year,  and 
a  Public  Administrator,  at  $4,000  a  year. 

The  construction  of  the  New  York,  Westchester  and  Boston 
Railway,  which  penetrates  the  heart  of  the  East  Bronx,  is  the  first 
step  toward  solving  the  local  transit  problem.  By  the  opening 
of  this  four-track  rapid  transit  line,  5,300  acres  of  practically 
undeveloped  territory,  lying  north  of  Bronx  Park  and  west  of 
Pelham  Bay  Park  and  east  of  Van  Cortlandt,  which  had  absolutely 
no  railroad  nor  rapid  transit  facilities  for  passenger  traffic,  have 
been  made  available  for  residential  and  manufacturing  purposes. 
The  system  begins  at  Lincoln  Avenue,  between  One  Hundred 
Thirty-second  Street  and  tracks  of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  and 
Hartford  Railroad,  where  it  connects  with  the  Second  and  Third 
Avenue  Elevated  Railways. 

After  leaving  the  Harlem  River,  the  stations  along  the  line 
are  located  at  Port  Morris,  Casanova,  Hunt's  Point,  Westchester 
Avenue,  One  Hundred  Eightieth  Street,  Morris  Park,  Pelham 
Parkway,  Gun  Hill  Road,  Baychester  Avenue  and  Dyre  Avenue, 
which  is  the  last  station  within  the  city  limits  and  the  end  of  the 
five-cent-fare  zone.  Mount  Vernon  has  five  stations.  At  Columbus 
Avenue  Junction,  a  branch  diverges  from  the  main  line,  and  pass- 
ing thru  the  easterly  end  of  Mount  Vernon,  runs  thru  Wykogyl 
in  the  northern  section  of  New  Rochelle  and  thru  the  beautiful 
Quaker  Ridge  section  to  Scarsdale  and  White  Plains,  the  latter  be- 
ing the  terminus  of  this  part  of  the  line. 


34 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


The  main  line  passes  thru  North  Pelham,  New  Rochelle, 
Larchmont,  Mamaroneck,  Harrison  and  Rye  to  Port  Chester. 

The  New  York,  Westchester  and  Boston  Railway  is  the  most 
modern  and  up-to-date  system  in  railroad  construction.  From  its 
roadbed  to  its  cars  and  stations,  its  architecture,  workmanship  and 
materials  are  of  the  best  and  highest  standard.  The  entire  line  is 
equipped  with  all-steel  motor  passenger  coaches,  each  having  a 
seating  capacity  for  seventy-eight  persons. 

The  new  transfer  station  located  at  One  Hundred  Eightieth 
Street  and  Morris  Park  Avenue  will  connect  with  the  West  Farms 
Branch  of  the  Interborough  and  will  become  the  geographical 
center  for  the  distribution  of  city  and  suburban  traffic.  Provision 
has  also  been  made  for  the  Pelham  Bay  section  of  the  Lexington 
Avenue  Subway  to  connect  at  the  Westchester  Avenue  station, 
in  The  Bronx,  thus  affording  an  opportunity  for  the  exchange  of 
passenger  traffic  for  all  points. 

The  station  occupies  a  space  approximately  550  feet  in  length 
and  250  feet  in  width.  Both  entrances  and  exits  are  on  the  street 
level,  and  the  platforms  for  receiving  and  discharging  passengers 
are  elevated  above  the  street,  conveniently  arranged  to  expedite 
the  transfer  from  one  system  to  another. 

The  ground  floor  has  been  so  designed  that  a  space  is  reserved 
on  each  side  of  the  entrance  to  the  station  from  Morris  Park  Ave- 
nue, which  can  be  converted  into  retail  stores  on  the  design  of  an 
arcade,  should  the  development  of  the  section  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
station  later  warrant  such  an  improvement. 

The  Interborough  Rapid  Transit  Company,  upon  the  comple- 
tion of  the  Broadway  and  West  Farms  extensions  of  the  subway, 
started  the  "Green  Lines"  of  the  new  crosstown  system  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  passengers  to  the  subways,  and  transferring 
them  to  the  trunk  lines  of  the  company,  for  a  three-cent  fare. 

On  the  extreme  westerly  side  of  the  Borough  is  the  Main  Line 
and  Putnam  Division  of  the  New  York  Central  Railroad.  These 
lines  accommodate  residents  of  Highbridge,  Morris  Heights,  Uni- 
versity Heights,  Kingsbridge,  Spuyten  Duyvil,  Riverdale,  Mount 
Saint  Vincent,  Van  Cortlandt  and  Mosholu. 

The  northwestern  section  of  the  Borough  is  also  tapped  by 
the  Broadway  branch  of  the  subway  up  to  Van  Cortlandt  Park 
(Two  Hundred  Forty-second  Street  and  Broadway),  where  the 
terminals  of  five  trolley  lines  feed  the  branch  from  the  north  and 


The  "WESTCHESTER"  is 


MAP  OF  THE 

NEW  YORK— - 

WE5TCHE5TER 

— '&.  BOSTON  Ry. 

Showing  Present"  and  Proposed 
Connections  From  ond  to 
MANHATTAN 


The  shortest  and  quickest 
route  with  frequent  train 
service  and  low  fares  to 
Suburban  Homes  in  the 
Upper  Bronx,  Mount 
Vernon,  Pelham,  New 
R  o  c  li  e  1 1  e  and  White 
Plains. 

X  X 

Send  for  booklet  and  set  of 
attractive  picture  post 
cards. 

X  X 

Fast  freight  service,  Pier  39 
(Old  Pier  50  East  River) 
or  Harlem  River  Station, 
to  Wykagyl,  (Northern 
New  Rochelle) ,  Heath- 
c  o  t  e  (vScarsdale)  and 
White  Plaini. 

X  X 

A  postal  card  or  request  by 
'phone  will  bring  a  call 
from  the  Traveling  Freight 
Agent. 

Advertise  your  business  in 
"WESTCHESTER" 
Coaches  and  Stations. 
If  it  pays  National  Adver- 
tisers— why  not  you  ? 

X  X 

Our  Advertising  Agent  is  at 
your  service. 

X  X 

Address 
INFORMATION  BUREAU, 

Room  22, 

180th  St.  Station,  Bronx, 
or 

37  Lawton  St.,  New  Rochelle. 

X  X 

New  York, 
Westchester  & 
Boston 

Railway  Company 


Bird's  Business  Institute 


F.  L.  BIRD,  Propr.    GEO.  WOLF,  Principal 

P-Re-Co.  Building 

391-EAST  149th  STREET,  COR.  3rd  AVENUE 
ALSO 

Webster  JVe.  &  Fordham  Road 
Cor.  190th  St.      NEW  >  0RK 


Shorthand 
Typewriting  Bookkeeping 


GEO.    W.    BIRD,  FOUNDER 


OLIN  J.  STEPHENS,  Inc. 

Five  Bronx  Yards 


COAL 


f COAL> 

STEPHENS 

^  I38IBST  ; 


WOOD 


Phone  4500  Melrose 


Prompt  and  Careful  Deliveries 


A  CITY  WITHIN  A  CITY 


55 


east.  This  branch  is  also  used  by  the  residents  of  Yonkers  and 
the  suburbs. 

Jerome  Avenue  will  be  equipped  with  three  extensions  of  the 
Manhattan  Elevated  and  Subway  Systems.  Under  the  hill  just 
south  of  Highbridge,  on  the  banks  of  the  Harlem  River,  a  tunnel 
will  be  bored  to  Jerome  Avenue  for  the  extensions  of  the  Sixth 
and  Ninth  Avenue  Elevated  Lines.  These  lines  will  meet  the 
Lexington  Avenue  Subway  extension  and  all  three  will  use  the 
elevated  structure  up  Jerome  Avenue  to  Woodlawn. 

At  present  the  residents  of  the  Williamsbridge,  Wakefield, 
Bronxwood  Park,  Westchester  and  other  northern  districts  of  The 
Bronx,  reach  the  West  Farms  terminal  of  the  subway  by  trolley. 
To  eliminate  the  double  fare  and  to  provide  better  facilities  for 
the  residents,  the  subway  will  be  extended  up  White  Plains  Avenue 
to  Williamsbridge. 

The  new  Broadway-Lexington  Subway  will  aid  materially  the 
development  of  The  Bronx.  Ground  was  broken  in  Manhattan 
in  November,  1911,  and  in  The  Bronx  at  Mott  Avenue  north  of 
East  One  Hundred  Thirty-eighth  Street,  on  December  7,  1911.  The 
subway,  it  is  expected,  will  be  in  operation  in  three  years.  It  is 
to  be  built  jointly  by  the  City  of  New  York  and  the  Interborough 
Rapid  Transit  Company,  and  is  to  be  equipped  by  the  company. 

The  line  will  start  in  lower  Broadway  and  at  Forty-second 
Street  it  will  swing  into  Lexington  Avenue  to  East  One  Hundred 
Thirty-fifth  Street,  The  Bronx.  At  this  point  it  will  divide  into 
two  branches :  the  River  and  Jerome  Avenue  branch  and  the  South- 
ern Boulevard  and  Westchester  Avenue  branch.  The  River  and 
Jerome  Avenue  line  will  be  underground  as  far  as  River  Avenue 
and  East  One  Hundred  Fifty-seventh  Street,  from  which  point  it 
will  be  elevated  to  Woodlawn  Road.  The  Southern  Boulevard 
and  Westchester  Avenue  line  will  remain  underground  as  far  as 
Whitlock  Avenue  south  of  Westchester  Avenue,  thence  elevated  to 
Pelham  Bay  Park. 


CHAPTER  V 


BIG  INDUSTRIES 

Where  Men  and  Women  Shop — The  Facilities  Offered  by  Traction  Companies — 

Proposed  Improvements. 

"IIKE  all  large  cities,  The  Bronx  has  its  business  cen- 
||  ters.  It  is  in  these  shopping  districts  that  property 
|  shows  the  greatest  increase  in  values,  pays  the  best 
rentals,  provides  the  best  investment,  and  is  most  in 
demand.  The  junction  of  One  Hundred  Forty-ninth 
Street  and  Third  Avenue  is,  without  doubt,  the  most  im- 
portant district  of  the  most  northern  borough.  Not  only  is  ifc 
the  transfer  point  of  the  West  Farms  subway  and  elevated  rail- 
roads, but  practically  every  trolley  car  operated  in  The  Bronx 
passes  thru  this  point.  It  is  also  the  recongized  shopping  dis- 
trict of  the  Borough.  Twenty-five  years  ago  lots  could  be  bought 
here  for  $6,000;  today  they  bring  that  much  rental  per  annum. 
Here  are  located  department  stores  and  other  up-to-date  business 
establishments  that  compare  favorably  with  the  largest  in  Man- 
hattan, and  no  less  than  five  first-class  playhouses  bid  for  the 
amusement  seekers'  patronage  in  this  particular  neighborhood. 

Only  a  few  years  ago,  theater-goers  were  obliged  to  ride 
downtown  in  order  to  attend  a  high-class  production.  It  was 
generally  accepted  that  no  first-class  theater  could  be  made  to 
pay  in  The  Bronx.  How  far  this  belief  was  from  fact  may  be 
judged  by  the  success  our  theatrical  enterprises  have  achieved. 
During  the  last  five  years  more  than  $3,000,000  have  been  invested 
in  amusement  structures  here.  There  are  one  hundred  and  forty- 
seven  amusement  places  in  the  Borough,  the  list  including  every 
variety  from  the  home  of  serious  drama  to  the  "nickelet"  and  open- 
air  playhouse. 

The  next  busiest  center  is  in  Tremont.  This  upper  middle 
section  of  the  Borough  has  shown  extraordinary  development,  and 
there  are  now  in  course  of  construction  one  hundred  and  ten  build- 
ings, mainly  apartment  houses.    Tremont  Avenue,  its  main  thoro- 

36 


BIG  INDUSTRIES 


37 


fare,  extends  from  Harlem  River  to  the  Long  Island  Sound, 
and  is  destined  to  become  one  of  the  leading  highways  of  the 
Borough.  The  blocks  from  Webster  to  Third  Avenues  are  given 
over  entirely  to  business  establishments  and  are  veritable  bee 
hives  of  activity.  The  third-tracking  of  the  Second  and  Third 
Avenue  Elevated  Railroads,  and  the  branch  connecting  the  New- 
York,  Westchester  &  Boston  Railroad  will  also  materially  help  the 
development  of  that  entire  section. 

The  third  important  thorofare  is  McKinley  Square,  located 
at  One  Hundred  Sixty-ninth  Street  and  Boston  Road. 

The  crosstown  trolley  line  opened  last  year  by  the  Union 
Railroad  Company,  starting  from  Washington  Bridge  and  running 


Junction  149th  Street  and  Third  Avenue 


east  thru  One  Hundred  Sixty-seventh  and  One  Hundred  Sixty- 
ninth  Streets  to  McKinley  Square,  thence  to  Westchester,  and  ter- 
minating at  Clason's  Point,  has  given  new  impetus  to  values  along 
its  entire  route  and  has  added  to  its  population,  as  has  also  the  new 
One  Hundred  Forty-ninth  Street  crosstown  line,  recently  opened. 

Other  centers  of  note  are:  the  junction  of  One  Hundred 
Thirty-eighth  Street  and  Willis  Avenue ;  Westchester,  Prospect  and 
Longwood  Avenues;  Westchester  Avenue  of  the  Southern  Boule- 
vard and  West  Farms  Road,  and  the  intersection  of  Boston  Road, 
Tremont  Avenue  and  West  Farms  Road.  This  last  center  is  sure 
to  develop  and  it  will  even  rival  One  Hundred  Forty-ninth  Street 
as  it  is  practically  the  geographical  center  of  the  Borough.  Almost 
all  the  important  arteries  running  east  and  west,  north  and  south 
connect  at  this  point. 


INER'S        IN  THE 

 BRONX 


THE  THEATRE  OF  INNOVATIONS 

Third  Ave.  &  1  56th  St.     Tel.  1  023  Mel  rose 
ACME  THEATRE  CO.,  Owners  EDWIN  D.  MINER,  General  Manager 

The  Only  Playhouse  in  the  Bronx,  Devoted  to 

HIGH  CLASS  BURLESQUE  AND  MUSICAL  ATTRACTIONS 


Only  the  Best  &  Most  Wholesome  Attractions  Staged  in  this  Theatre 

All  casts  are  headed  by  Leading  Comedians  and  Mirth  Makers  and 
the  Chorus  includes  the  Most  Beautiful  Girls  on  the  Burlesque  Stage 

This  Theatre  has  a  seating  capacity  of  1,809,  and  is  absolutely  Fireproof  Special  attention  is  given 
to  the  comfort  of  ladies.    Polite  and  attentive  ushers  and  attendants  always  at  your  service. 

MATINEE  EVERY  DAY.    Prices  10,  15,  25,  30  and  50  cts. 


SOME 
OF 


M 


INER'S 


ORIGINAL  AND  FAMOUS 

INNOVATIONS 

High  Class  Novelty  Burlesque 

Our  Country 
Store 


°4 


9 


After  the  regular  performance 
the  curtain  rises — on  theCoun- 
try  Store — A  great  variety 
of  merchandise  is  on  display. 
Girls  selected  from  the  chorus, 
and  garbed  as  demure  coun- 
try maidens,  are  seen  behind  the  counters — and  present  the  entire 
contents  of  this  well-stocked  store  to  the  patrons  of  this  theatre  as  their 
names  are  read  together  with  a  description  of  the  gifts  they  are  to 
receive — Twenty-five  names  are  selected  from  coupons  which  have 
been  filled  in  by  the  holder  at  the  time  of  entering  the  theatre — Ask  for 
your  coupon.  If  your  name  is  called,  just  step  up  on  the  stage  and 
receive  a  most  welcome  assortment  of  either  Household  Goods,  Edibles, 
Clothing,  Horses,  Wagons,  Goats,  Sheep,  Cows,  Chickens,  Turkeys,  etc. 
Oh,  Yes!    These  are  absolutely  given  away  free  of  charge. 


Amateur  Night 


From  Clog  Dancing  to 
Grand  Opera! 

A  side-splitting  session  with 
Embryo  Actors  recruited  from 
those  who  "Think  they  can 
act,"  and  who  strive  to  win 
your  approval  together  with 
the  prize  monev  offered  by  this  theatre  for  the  most  successful  candi- 
dates. HAVE  YOU  EVER  SEEN  AN  AMATEUR  GET  THE 
HOOK? 

Wrestling 

These  wrestling  matches  by 
the  top-notchers  and  head 
liners  in  their  profession — 
Under  the  personal  super- 
vision and  direction  of  Mr. 
George  Bothner,  Champion 
Lightweight  Wrestler  of  the 
World — are  marvels  of  scien- 
tific skill  and  most  interesting  to  even  those  who  have  not  cultivated  a 
liking  for  this  class  of  sport. 


High  Class  Novelty  Burlesque 


38 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


The  Bronx  is  truly  undergoing  Aladdin-like  changes.  One  has 
but  to  step  around  the  corner  to  note  some  transformation  that  has, 
mushroom-like,  made  its  appearance  overnight. 

Take,  for  example,  the  section  lying  south  of  Westchester 


McKinley  Square — 169th  Street  and  Boston  Road 


Avenue  and  the  Southern  Boulevard  and  see  what  miracles  have 
been  wrought  there.  Less  than  half  a  dozen  years  ago  this  region 
was  but  sparsely  settled  with  a  dozen  or  more  neglected  estates 
scattered  over  its  large  territory ;  today  it  is  teeming  with  activity, 
and  the  old  mansions  which  were  once  the  country  seats  of  promi- 


BIG  INDUSTRIES 


39 


nent  families  have  been  swept  away,  and  upon  their  sites  have  been 
erected  hundreds  of  handsome  brick  one-,  two-  and  three-family 
homes,  and  rows  upon  rows  of  beautiful  apartment  houses  of  the 
most  modern  and  high-class  type. 

The  American  Real  Estate  Company,  Henry  Morgenthau  Com- 
pany, Geo.  F.  Johnson,  and  James  F.  Meehan,  four  of  the  largest 
operators  and  home-makers  in  the  Bronx,  purchased  practically 
all  of  the  property  embracing  what  is  generally  known  as  the 
Hunt's  Point  section.  For  years  after  their  purchases,  this  section 
was  in  a  state  of  chaos;  rocks  were  being  blasted,  streets  were 


Boston  Road,  South  from  166th  Street  in  1883 


being  laid  out,  sewers  were  being  constructed  and  a  total  of 
upwards  of  one  million  dollars  were  spent  by  these  owners  in 
transforming  this  territory  into  city  property.  It  is  said  that 
the  buildings  which  they  erected  in  that  section,  can  house  more 
than  one  hundred  thousand  persons. 

A  late  purchase  of  the  American  Real  Estate  Company  was 
the  ninety-three  acres  of  the  Watson  estate  lying  just  north  of 
Westchester  Avenue  and  east  of  the  Bronx  River.  The  property 
is  located  on  high  ground  and  contains  about  twelve  hundred 
city  lots. 


40 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Other  sections  which  are  steadily  growing  and  undergoing 
transformation  are  the  districts  known  as  Bedford  Park  and  Wood- 
lawn  Heights.  The  latter  occupies  a  unique  location,  for  while 
it  is  within  the  city  limits  and  enjoying  all  the  improvements  of 
municipal  ownership,,  it  is  still  closely  allied  with  Yonkers,  so  that 
in  a  measure  it  might  almost  be  classed  with  the  latter.  Topo- 
graphically the  ground  lies  high  and  the  outlook  in  every  direction 


Forest  Avenue,  South  from  Home  Street  in  1883 


is  extensive.  To  the  east  is  the  valley  of  the  Bronx  River,  while 
to  the  north  the  land  slopes  gradually  upward.  To  the  south  is 
Woodlawn  Cemetery  and  to  the  west  Van  Cortlandt  Park.  The 
excellent  service  furnished  by  the  New  York  and  Harlem  division 
of  the  New  York  Central  &  Hudson  River  Railroad  makes  it  easy 
of  access,  and  the  trolley  line  running  along  McLean  Avenue  brings 
Yonkers  within  a  short  riding  distance.  There  is  also  a  trolley 
line  on  Webster  Avenue  parallel  to  the  railroad  tracks.    This  sec- 


BRONX  BOROUGH  REAL  ESTATE 

/fig/rose. 

A  Jo '6  So 


Founded  1888 
Capital  and  Surplus  over  $2,000,000 


Assets  over  $25,000,000 


THE  LARGEST  AND  OLDEST  COMPANY 
OPERATING  IN  BRONX  REAL  ESTATE 


Main  Construction  Office 
Uptown  Rental  Office 


989  Southern  Boulevard,  New  York 
985  Southern  Boulevard,  New  York 


General  Offices        527  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 


ALL  POINTS  OF  THE 
COMPASS  LEAD  TO 


GILLIGAN'S 


WINTER  GARDEN 


NEW  YORK'S 
MOST  FAMOUS 

CABARET 

In  the  Heart 

of  the  Bronx 

Lobster  Belt 

Latest  and 
Most  Popular 
Song  Hits 

PROFESSIONAL 
ENTERTAINERS 
direct  from 
B  roadway's 
Leading 
Productions 

DANCING 
EXCELLENT 

CUISINE 
Elaborate 
CABARET 


The  happiest  com- 
bination for  the 
Grouch  or  worn  out 
business  man. 

Come  and  Get  Acquainted  149th  St.,  wJ-of  3rd  Ave.   We "ttTur^bby 


Tel.  Melrose  8129 


Open  Day  &  Night 


CRITERION  TAXjJERVICE 

Touring  Cars  and  Taxi  Cabs 
For  All  Occasions 

391  East  149th  Street 

SPECIAL  RATES  ON  Near  Third  Avenue 
Shopping.  Theatre  Parties 

Wedding  Calls,  Etc.  NEW  YORK 

Telephone,  892  Melrose 

MAX  DEUTSCH 

Graduate  N.  Y.  Pedic  Society 

Ready  to  Wear  Orthopedic 
FOOTWEAR 

2655  Third  Avenue 
Bet.  141st  and  142d  Sts.  NEW  YORK 

MAKER  OF 

ORTHOFORM  SHOES 
I  RESCRIPTION  SHOES 


bp:  a  weiser  man 

—  AND  — 

WEAR  WEISER'S  CLOTHES 

B'way  Styles  at  Bronx  Prices 

Our  Specialties: 
SIO.OO  $15.00  S20.00 


Our  Men's  Furnishing  Dept.  is 
the  most  complete  in  the  Bronx 


WEISER'S 

Areco  Bldg.     149th  St.,  3d  Ave. 


BIG  INDUSTRIES 


41 


tion  differs  from  the  main  thorofare,  in  that  only  one-  and  two- 
family  dwellings  are  being  erected.  The  same  conditions  prevail 
in  the  Bedford  Park  section. 

Crossing  over  to  the  easterly  section,  we  come  to  Throgg's 
Neck,  one  of  the  most  attractive  shore  fronts  in  The  Bronx.  There 
is  a  great  future  before  it,  particularly  if  the  proposed  new  subway 
route,  which,  according  to  one  plan,  will  have  Pelham  Park  as  a 
terminal,  will  be  carried  to  completion.  One  of  the  first  improve- 
ments planned,  is  a  shore  drive,  one  hundred  feet  wide,  which  will 
skirt  Throgg's  Neck. 

•  The  water  front  of  The  Bronx,  aggregating  more  than  forty 
miles  of  navigable  waters,  has  added  unlimited  trade  and  commerce 
to  the  Borough.  Almost  the  entire  territory  from  Highbridge  to 
Hunt's  Point  has  been  utilized  by  railroads,  factories  and  other 
industrial  enterprises  requiring  shipping  facilities  along  the  water 
front.  The  Bronx  contains  seven  hundred  factories,  each  large 
enough  to  be  subject  to  State  supervision  and  inspection.  They 
give  employment  to  at  least  thirty-five  thousand  people. 

Among  the  numerous  industries  which  have  contributed 
toward  making  The  Bronx  a  manufacturing  center  of  world-wide 
renown,  the  manufacture  of  pianos  and  organs  ranks  among  the 
foremost  in  importance.  No  less  than  sixty  factories  are  located 
within  the  Borough,  which  turn  out  these  musical  instruments  in 
amazing  quantities  annually.  These  are  shipped  to  all  quarters 
of  the  globe. 

The  mammoth  plant  of  the  American  Bank  Note  Company 
at  Hunt's  Point  is  another  institution  which  employs  an  army  of 
over  two  thousand  workers.  For  more  than  a  century  this  com- 
pany has  been  recognized  by  experts  as  the  leading  engraving  and 
printing  concern  in  America,  if  not  in  the  world.  The  choice  of  its 
present  site  in  the  Hunt's  Point  section  of  The  Bronx  was  the 
result  of  a  thoro  canvas  of  all  the  available  sections  in  Greater 
New  York.  Another  enormous  plant  is  the  De  la  Vargne  Machine 
Works  at  the  foot  of  East  One  Hundred  Thirty-eighth  Street. 
Other  industries  covering  acres  and  doing  a  large  business  are 
the  Ward  Bread  Company,  and  the  lumber,  the  coal  and  the  brew- 
ing companies. 

A  comparison  of  the  business  done  during  1912  with  that  of 
the  previous  year  by  some  of  the  public  service  corporations  will 


42 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


give  one  an  idea  of  the  immense  business  transacted  in  the 
Borough. 

The  New  York  Telephone  Company,  for  example,  which  has 
about  $4,000,000  invested  in  The  Bronx,  increased  its  services 
by  installing  4,648  telephones  during  the  past  year.  On  January 
1st,  1906,  there  were  but  5,573  telephones  in  use  in  The  Bronx, 
while  on  February  28th,  1913  there  were  26,622. 

The  New  York  Edison  Company  is  also  making  large  ex- 
penditures in  The  Bronx  for  the  development  and  improvement  of 
its  facilities  for  furnishing  both  light  and  power.  The  increase  in 
its  business  during  the  past  year  was  most  remarkable.  In  1911 
it  had  20,148  customers  on  its  books  and  in  1912  they  numbered 
28,582. 

The  Bronx  possesses  the  largest  and  most  perfect  plants  for 
the  making  of  ice  machines  and  gas  engines.  All  the  five  com- 
panies which  supply  gas  in  the  Borough  show  marked  increases  in 
the  number  of  customers  supplied  during  1912.  The  Central  Union 
Gas  Company  alone  entered  over  7,000  new  customers  on  their 
books  during  the  year,  which  brings  their  total  to  87,000  customers. 

The  annual  consumption  of  coal  and  the  increase  from  year 
to  year  is  also  a  fair  barometer  of  the  business  activity  in  The 
Bronx.   In  1912  it  reached  its  record  mark  of  1,760,000  tons. 

Another  proof  of  the  growth  of  the  general  retail  business 
activity  in  the  Borough  is  the  fact  that  the  National  Cash  Register 
Company  sold  over  a  thousand  additional  machines  during  the  last 
year. 

By  means  of  the  Harlem  River  Ship  Canal  many  of  the  new 
products  of  the  country  are  brought  nearer  to  the  Bronx  Borough. 

For  the  accommodation  of  business  men,  manufacturers  and 
merchants,  financial  institutions  of  every  class,  including  a  National 
Bank  with  numerous  branches  of  State  Banks  and  Trust  Com- 
panies have  been  established  at  all  convenient  points.  For  the 
thrifty  there  are  saving  banks.  All  of  these  institutions  are  well 
managed  and  conducted  on  safe  lines  so  as  to  command  the  full 
confidence  of  their  customers. 

For  the  very  immediate  future  the  following  improvements 
have  been  contemplated  which  will  add  impetus  to  business  growth : 
Erection  of  a  new  station  on  the  New  York  Central  Railroad; 
change  from  a  two-track  to  a  six-track  system  on  the  New  York, 
New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad  from  Harlem  River  to  New 


Leading  Bronx  Stationer 

SCHAPIRO'S 

The  Store  that  gained  its  reputation  by  the  quality  of  merchandise  sold  there. 

Individual  Departments  (Main  Floor) 

Commercial  Stationery       Social  Stationery  and  Fancy  Goods       Filing  Cabinets,  Etc. 
Artists'  Materials             Kodaks  and  Supplies            Sporting  Goods 
Dinner  Favors  and  Prizes  for  Card  Parties,  Etc. 

OUR  TOY  DEPARTMENT  (2d  Floor) 

One  of  the  largest  and  most  spacious  in  the  City/dovoted  to 
Imported  and  Domestic  Toys  and  Dolls              Children's  Furniture  and  Wheel  Goods 
Baby  Carriages                          Trunks,  Bags  and  Valises 

Printing  Dept.  on  the  Premises 

Work  of  the  "Better  Kind"— Write  or  Telephone  for  our  Representative) 

3410-12-14  THIRD  AVENUE                   At  166th  St.  "L"  Station 

Telephone  Connections  to  all  Departments 

"Confidence  Not  Gained  in  a  Day" 
^                             Est.  1880 

BRONX  LOAN  OFFICE 

PAWNBROKERS 

2794       3d  Avenue  -2794 

Bet,  147th  and  14Sth  Sts. 
BARGAINS  FOR  SALE  IN 

Diamonds,  Jewelry,  Furs,  Clothing 

—  and  — ■ 

^         All  Kinds  of  Merchandise  ^ 

Telephone  Melrose  6511                  Telephone  Bryant  3721 

NAT  T  ,EWIS, 

Exclusive  Haberdasher 
"The  Accommodating  Shops" 

569  Melrose  Avenue         25  West  42d  Street 

Cor.  150th  St.                         Opp.  Public  Library 
Open  Evenings 

MY  STORE  POLICY:  "Every  article  you  buy 
here  MUST  please  or  you  MUST  return  It." 

Telephone,  Tremont  1586             Established  1883 

HARRY  B.  SMITH 

GENERAL  CONTRACTOR 

£i>ign£,  picture  Jf  rames 

Ittirmrs  ant)  (61ass  a  §>yrrialtu 
4187  Third  Avenue,       BRONX.  X.  V. 

Between  176th  Street  and  Tremont  Avenue 

gfflL          Tailors  of  Quality 

i  :ij  Bronx  $1.00  Skirt  Co. 

,|  .     J              J.  H.  WEISS,  Proprietor 

I      1       Skirts  to  Order  $1.00  up 
' .     -fj      Suits  to  Order  $6.00  up 

From  Your  Own  Material 
2829  THIRD  AVENUE  BRONX 

Bet.  148th  and  149th  Streets 

THE  ONLY  AUTO  SUPPLY  HOUSE  IN  THE  BRONX 


Ford  Cars 


DISTRIBUTORS 

AUTOMOBILE 

Accessories 


Overland  Cars 


Simmons  Automobile  Company 

Office  and  Salesroom  T\I«»<*/V      Yr*»»Lr  Service  Department 

415  East  149th  St.  1Urh  2138  Westchester  Ave. 

Tel.  7774  Melrose  J.  GORSE  SIMMONS,  Pres.  and  Gen.  Mgr  Tel.  74  Westchester 


Tel.  441 J  Melrose 

Jacob  Landy 
Clettrtcal  Contractor 

673  Elton  Avenue 

JUNCTION  OF  THIRD  AVE.  &  153d  ST. 

New  York 
Higftt  anb  $otoer 


First  Class 
DENTISTRY 


If  you  want 

Good  Legal  Service, 

Good  Medical  Service, 

Good  Dental  Work 

You  have  to  pay  a  Good  Price. 

I  am  the  High  Priced  Dentist 

of  The  Bronx, 
But  My  Services  are  Worth 

all  I  charge. 

Edwin  B.  Swift,  D.  D.  S., 

2498  DeVoe  Terrace  BRONX 


The  Story  of  the  Bronx 

From  the  Purchase  made  by  the  Dutch  from  the  Indians  in  1639  to  the  Present  Day 

By  STEPHEN  JENKINS 

Author  of  "The  Greatest  ctreet  in  the  World  —  Broadway."    8vo.     With  over  100 
illustrations  and  maps,  $3  50  net;  by  mail,  $3.75. 

The  romantic  history  of  the  northern  section  of  Greater  New  York  from  the  days  of  Jonas 
Bronk,  after  whom  the  Bronx  was  named,  throug'i  the  centuries  crowded  with  events  that  have 
issued  into  the  present,  The  geographical  landmarks  acquire  a  new  significance  as  around  them 
this  accurate  historian  of  local  events  and  conditions  weaves  the  substantial  fabric  of  fact  and 
more  sparingly  the  lighter  web  of  tradition. 

G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS,  2-4-6  W.  45th  St ,  New  York 


BIG  INDUSTRIES 


43 


Rochelle;  proposed  New  York  and  New  Jersey  bridge  across  the 
Hudson  at  One  Hundred  Forty-ninth  Street ;  the  erection  of  a  new 
Federal  building  at  One  Hundred  Forty-ninth  Street  and  Mott 
Avenue,  which  is  to  cost  over  half  a  million  dollars,  and  is  to  in- 
clude the  Bronx  Central  Post  Office,  the  Internal  Revenue  Bureau,* 
the  Treasury  and  Commerce  and  Labor  Departments;  the  build- 
ing of  a  connecting  railroad,  connecting  Long  Island  with  the 
Borough  by  a  bridge;  the  erection  of  a  direct  east  side  subway; 
the  improvement  of  the  splendid  water  front  by  increased  dock 
facilities;  and  the  establishment  of  a  public  produce  market. 

The  following  waterway  improvements  are  now  under  way 
or  planned :  Deepening  of  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek,  Harlem  River,  and 
Bronx  Kills  in  connection  with  Barge  Canal  traffic;  widening  and 
deepening  of  Bronx  River  and  Westchester  Creek ;  plan  adopted 
to  make  the  Hutchinson  River  80  to  900  feet  wide. 

Borough  President  Cyrus  C.  Miller  proposes  a  plan  for  in- 
dustrial development  benefiting  directly  the  area  which  may  be 
described  roughly  as  lying  south  and  east  of  a  line  beginning  in 
the  South  Bronx. at  Macomb's  Park  and  running  thence  easterly 
across  One  Hundred  Sixty-first  Street  to  Westchester  Avenue; 
thence  easterly  along  Westchester  Avenue  along  West  Farms  Road 
and  Boston  Road  to  One  Hundred  Eightieth  Street  at  the  easterly 
boundary  of  Bronx  Park ;  thence  northerly  along  the  eastern  boun- 
dary of  Bronx  Park  to  Bear  Swamp  Road;  thence  along  Bear 
Swamp  Road  to  Morris  Park  Avenue  to  Stillwell  Avenue  to  Bronx 
and  Pelham  Parkway,  and  from  this  point  east  to  Long  Island 
Sound. 

This  district  comprises  about  one-third  the  area  of  The  Bronx, 
or  about  fourteen  square  miles.  It  is  bordered  on  the  south  and 
east  by  the  Harlem  River,  Bronx  Kills  and  Long  Island  Sound, 
and  intersected  by  Bronx  River  and  Westchester  Creek,  which 
run  up  into  the  mainland  from  the  Sound.  It  has  a  water  front 
seventeen  miles  long  with  bays  and  indentations  for  the  anchorage 
of  ships  and  the  building  of  docks. 

The  prime  necessity  for  the  whole  plan  is  an  industrial  rail- 
way for  freight  around  the  south  and  east  shores  of  The  Bronx, 
so  as  to  connect  all  the  railroads  coming  into  The  Bronx  with  the 
dock  system  planned  by  Commissioner  Tomkins,  and  by  means  of 
spurs,  with  the  factories  to  be  built  in  the  territory  described. 

This  will  make  it  possible  for  a  loaded  freight  car  to  come 


44 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


into  The  Bronx  on  any  railroad  or  steamship  pier  or  dock,  or  to 
any  factory  or  warehouse  that  is  connected  with  the  railway  by 
a  spur. 

The  Borough  President  has  directed  his  engineers  to  draw 
up  tentative  plans  for  the  Industrial  Railway  and  has  interested 
men  of  capital  in  the  plan.  One  step  in  this  development  has  been 
made  by  the  Ryawa  Realty  Company,  which  has  begun  a  $20,- 
000,000  development  at  the  mouth  of  the  Bronx  River,  similar  to 
the  Bush  Terminal  stores  in  Brooklyn. 

Part  of  the  plan  is  to  have  a  Union  Terminal  Market  on  the 
line  of  the  Industrial  Railway,  where  food  products  may  be  carried 
by  all  the  railroads  and  steamships  coming  to  The  Bronx  and  dis- 
tributed directly  and  cheaply  to  the  retail  dealers  of  the  Borough. 


CHAPTER  VI 


THE  STORY  OF  GREAT  BRIDGES 

The  Water  Front  That  Invites  Big  Ships  from  Over  the  Seven  Seas — Early 
Highways. 

— ILLIONS  of  dollars  have  been  spent  by  the  Govern- 
ment in  deepening  and  widening  the  channels  of 
waterways,  and  more  money  is  constantly  being  ex- 
pended on  improvements.  The  crowding  of  com- 
merce and  the  ever  growing  demand  for  more 
docking  space  in  Manhattan  will  eventually  force  the  city 
to  build  substantial  wharves  and  piers  along  the  matchless 
water  front.  The  opening  of  the  Erie  Canal  and  the  Harlem  Ship 
Canal  has  brought  The  Bronx  and  the  maritime  states  of  New 
England  into  direct  water  communication  with  the  Great  Lakes 
of  the  Northwest,  and  it  is  only  a  question  of  time  when  the  ocean 
greyhounds  will  be  docking  at  Port  Morris,  at  which  point  the 
East  River  is  deepest.  This  will  save  300  miles  of  water  route, 
as  it  will  enable  steamers  to  come  direct  thru  Long  Island  Sound, 
instead  of  the  Narrows  and  the  Lower  Bay. 

Our  forefathers,  as  far  back  as  1693,  saw  the  necessity  of  a 
bridge  across  the  Harlem  River.  Since  then  nearly  every  leading 
thorofare  of  Manhattan  has  been  extended  into  The  Bronx  by 
means  of  a  bridge,  and  around  these  centers  there  has  been  un- 
paralleled growth  of  traffic  and  prosperity. 

The  old  bridges  which  once  connected  the  Borough  of  The 
Bronx  with  Manhattan  have  all  been  taken  down  and  replaced 
by  up-to-date  steel  structures. 

The  first  bridge  across  the  Harlem  River  was  built  by  Fred- 
erick Philipse  in  1693.  It  was  named  "King's  Bridge"  and  stood 
about  where  the  present  Broadway  Bridge  is  situated  until  1713, 
when  it  was  moved  to  just  east  of  the  present  structure  which  bears 
the  name  of  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  Bridge. 

Originally  a  ferry,  owned  by  Johannes  Verveelen,  plied  be- 
tween Westchester  County  and  Manhattan  Island.     As  traffic 

45 


4(3 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


became  too  heavy,  it  was  decided  to  replace  the  ferry  by  a  bridge 
over  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek ;  but  the  public  treasury  was  insufficient 
for  the  undertaking  of  such  a  project.  The  wealthy  Frederick 
Philipse,  foreseeing  the  possibility  of  reaping  a  large  revenue,  pro- 
posed to  build  the  bridge  at  his  own  expense  if  he  were  permitted 
to  collect  tolls.  The  Provincial  Assembly  granted  to  Philipse 
"the  neck  or  island  of  land  called  Paparinemo  with  the  salt 
meadows  thereunto  belonging,  together  with  power  and  authority 
to  erect  a  bridge  over  the  water  or  river  commonly  called  Spiten 


Courtesy  Department  of  Bridges,  City  of  New  York 


King's  Bridge  over  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  in  1856 

Devil  Ferry  or  Paparinemo."  The  "Dutch  Millionaire"  was  author- 
ized to  impose  the  following  tolls: 

"  3  pens  (pence)  for  each  man  or  horse  that  shall  pass  in 

the  daytime. 
"  3  pens  for  each  head  of  neat  cattle. 
"12  pens  for  each  score  of  hoggs,  calves,  or  sheep. 
"  9  pens  for  every  boat,  vessel  or  canoe  that  shall  pass  the 

said  bridge  and  cause  the  same  to  be  drawn  up. 
"  9  pens  for  each  coach,  cart,  or  sledge,  or  waggon." 

The  bridge  was  of  much  importance  during  the  Revolution. 
Over  it  Washington's  defeated  and  disheartened  army  retreated  in 


THE  STORY  OF  GREAT  BRIDGES 


47 


September,  1776;  and  over  it  again  in  November,  1783,  Wash- 
ington, Governor  George  Clinton  and  a  guard  of  honor  crossed,  this 
time  with  their  faces  southward,  to  resume  once  more  the  pos- 
session of  the  City  of  New  York.  The  surrounding  section  re- 
ceived the  name  of  Kingsbridge  from  this  bridge. 

A  short  distance  southeast  of  the  King's  Bridge  stood  the 
Farmers'  Free  or  Dyckman's  Bridge,  erected  in  1758  which,  unlike 
King's  Bridge,  was  free  of  all  tolls.  Philipse's  bridge  had  become 
irksome  to  the  farmers  who  were  obliged  to  pay  toll  each  time  they 


Courtesy  Department  of  Bridges,  City  of  Nev:  York 

Farmers'  Bridge  (Dyckman's)  over  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  in  1860 

crossed  and  recrossed  it  on  their  way  to  and  from  market.  A  move- 
ment was  therefore  started  by  Benjamin  Palmer  of  City  Island 
for  raising  a  popular  subscription  with  which  to  erect  a  free 
bridge.  Palmer  was  encouraged  in  his  efforts  by  Thomas  Vermilye 
of  Fordham  and  Jacob  Dyckman  of  Manhattan,  both  of  whom  fur- 
nished the  land  for  the  approaches  of  the  bridge.  Despite  the 
persistent  opposition  of  Frederick  Philipse,  who  realized  that  his 
revenue  would  be  curtailed,  the  project  was  effected  and  the  "Free 
Bridge"  formally  opened  on  New  Year's  Day  of  1759.  Thus  was 
a  blow  struck  at  Colonial  aristocracy. 

The  bridge  was  also  known  as  "Farmers'  Bridge,"  "Dyck- 


48 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


man's  Bridge,"  and  afterwards  as  "Hadley's  Bridge";  the  latter 
name  after  George  Hadley  who  purchased  this  section  in  1785 
from  the  Commissioners  of  Forfeiture.  The  bridge  was  destroyed 
during  the  Revolution,  but  rebuilt  after  the  war.  In  1911  it  was 
replaced  by  a  steel  structure. 

In  1795  the  State  Legislature  granted  a  franchise  to  John  B. 
Coles  to  build  a  dam  bridge  across  the  Harlem  River.  This  is 
known  as  the  first  Third  Avenue,  or  Harlem,  Bridge.  Heretofore 
all  persons  going  from  Manhattan  to  the  mainland,  and  vice  versa, 


Free  or  Farmer's  Bridge  in  1910 


were  obliged  to  travel  in  a  round  about  way  across  Spuyten  Duyvil 
Creek  by  ford  or  ferry  or  bridge.  The  bridge  was  to  be  constructed 
within  four  years,  and  the  ownership  was  to  be  vested  in  Coles 
for  sixty  years,  after  which  period  it  was  to  become  the  property 
of  the  State.  A  lock,  attended  by  a  lock-keeper,  was  to  permit  the 
passage  of  vessels. 

The  tolls  which  Coles  was  authorized  to  collect,  provided  he 
kept  the  bridge  in  repair,  ranged  from  one  cent  for  every  ox, 
cow,  or  steer,  and  three  cents  for  every  pedestrian  to  thirty-seven 
and  a  half  cents  for  every  four-wheeled  pleasure  carriage  and 
horses  that  passed  the  bridge.   At  the  expiration  of  the  sixty  years, 


THE  STORY  OF  GREAT  BRIDGES 


43 


the  Harlem  Bridge  Company,  which  was  incorporated  in  1808, 
loathe  to  relinquish  so  rich  a  pudding,  made  efforts  to  procure  an 
extension  of  its  franchise ;  but  the  State  Legislature  turned  it  over 
to  the  counties  of  New  York  and  Westchester,  who  converted  it 
into  a  free  thorofare. 

For  almost  seventy  years  the  Harlem  Bridge  did  noble  service 
across  the  Harlem  River,  when,  owing  to  the  increased  traffic 
between  Harlem  and  Morrisania,  it  was  found  necessafry  to  replace 
it  with  an  iron  structure.    This  second  Third  Avenue,  or  Harlem, 


Courtesy  Department  of  Bridaes,  City  of  New  York 

Macomb's  Dam  Bridge  over  Harlem  River,  1838 


Bridge  was  in  turn  removed  to  make  room  for  a  more  modern 
steel  and  iron  bridge  with  a  draw  of  300  feet.  The  third  Harlem 
Bridge  was  opened  to  the  public  on  August  1st,  1898,  at  a  cost  to 
the  City  of  $2,357,742.51. 

In  1800  Alexander  Macomb,  a  wealthy  merchant  of  New  York 
City,  who  had  come  into  possession  of  the  forfeited  Philipse  prop- 
erty, obtained  from  the  city  authorities  a  water  grant  extending 
across  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  just  east  of  the  King's  Bridge.  His 
son  Robert  obtained,  in  1813,  a  grant  to  erect  a  dam  across  the 
Harlem  from  Bussing's  Point  on  the  Manhattan  side  to  Devoe's 
Point  on  the  Westchester  shore,  thus  practically  forming  a  mill 


50 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


pond  out  of  the  Harlem  River  and  the  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  to 
supply  power  to  the  mills  constructed  along  the  Westchester  side. 
There  was  a  stipulation,  however,  that  the  dam  should  be  so  con- 
structed as  to  allow  the  passage  of  boats,  and  that  Macomb  should 
always  have  a  person  in  attendance  to  afford  the  desired  passage. 
He  neglected,  however,  to  carry  out  this  direction,  and  not  only 
erected  the  dam  without  the  specified  contrivance,  but  converted 
its  lip  into  a  permanent  bridge,  known  as  Macomb's  Dam  Bridge, 
and  collected  tolls  from  all  who  crossed  it.    The  utter  obstruction 


of  the  river  thus  introduced,  continued  until  1838.  In  the  mean- 
time Robert  Macomb  had  become  insolvent  and  his  property  was 
now  in  the  possession  of  the  Renwicks. 

Protests  were  raised  against  the  obstruction  of  the  Harlem 
River  as  well  as  against  the  unauthorized  collection  of  tolls,  but 
they  went  unheeded.  In  1838,  Lewis  G.  Morris,  a  member  of  that 
family  which  have  always  championed  the  people's  rights,  devised 
a  plot  whereby  he  would  bring  the  matter  to  an  issue  before  the 
courts. 

He  built  a  dock  half  a  mile  north  of  Highbridge  and  chartered 
the  vessel  Nonpareil  to  carry  a  load  of  coal  for  delivery  at  Morris 


Courtesy  Department  of  Bridges,  City  of  New  York 


Macomb's  Dam  Bridge  in  1861 


TELEPHONE,   3869  MELROSE 

LEWIS  G.  FRIED 

863  Kelly  St.,  Bronx,  N.Y. 

Parquet  and  Hardwood 
FLOORS 


OF  EVERY  DESCRIPTION 


Old  Floors  Cleaned, 
Scraped  and  Reflnished 


High  Class  Work  and 
Low  Rates 


Prospect 
Taxi  Co,,  i 


nc. 


Accessories  and 
Repair  Work 
Taxi  Service 


784-786  Southern  Boulevard 

BRONX,  NEW  YORK 
Phone,  Melrose  798 


PHONE  4619  MELROSE 

Dresses  and  Skirts  a  Specially 

A.  GREIF 
Ladies' Tailor 

885  Prospect  Ave. 

Between  161st  and  162d  Streets 
New  York 


Prospect  $1.00  Skirt  Company 

839  Westchester  Ave. 

Near  Prospect  Ave.  Sub  Station 

Skirts  Made  to  Order  $1.00  up 
Suits  Made  to  Order  $6.00  up 

We  also  make  SKIRTS  and  SUITS 
from  our  own  material. 

Specialty  in  Robes  and 
Gowns 


AUG.  KORSMEIER,  President 
Tel.,  Tremont  2500 


BOULEVARD  AUTO  CO.  GARAGE 


No.  2073  Southern  Boulevard 
Near  180th  Street 

Storing 
Renting 
Supplies 


General 
Over- 
hauling 
Painting 
Uphol- 
stering 
Auto 
Tops 
and  Re- 
pairing 

All  Work  Done  on  Premises  by  Expert  Mechanics  Rates  Lowest  Possible,  Consistent  with  High  Class  Work  Delivered 

BRONX  AGENCY  FOR  BUICK  CARS 
Limousines,  Touring  Cars  and  Taxis  to  Hire  for  all  Occasions  Open  Day  and  Night 


Ideal 

Factory 
Sites 


Between  Rail  and  Water 
For  Sale  on  Liberal  Terms 


Port  Morris  Land  &  Imp't  Co. 

141  Broadway,  New  York 


LION'S 
BAKERY 


4380  Third  Ave., 

Cor.  180th  St.  New  York 
Phone  Tremont  1844 


THE  STORY  OF  GREAT  BRIDGES 


51 


Dock.  When  the  Nonpareil  reached  the  dam  at  full  tide,  Mor- 
ris demanded  that  the  passage  be  opened.  As  this  request  was 
not  complied  with,  Morris  with  the  aid  of  about  one  hundred  men, 
who  appeared  on  a  number  of  small  boats,  tore  out  a  part  of  the 
dam  and  thus  forced  thru  the  passage  of  his  vessel.  A  suit 
was  instituted  by  the  Renwicks  against  Morris  in  the  Superior 
■Court  for  the  damage  done  to  the  dam,  but  a  decison  was  rendered 


Macomb  Mansion,  Kingsbiudge 


against  the  plaintiffs.  The  Supreme  Court  and  later  the  Court  of 
Errors  upheld  the  original  decision.  Chancellor  Walworth,  in 
handing  down  his  decison,  said  in  part :  "The  Harlem  River  is 
an  arm  of  the  sea  and  a  public  navigable  river;  it  was  a  public 
nuisance  to  obstruct  the  navigation  thereof  without  authority  of 
Law." 

From  that  time  on  a  drawbridge  was  always  maintained  in 
the  dam  rendering  the  Harlem  free  to  navigation.  It  was  in  turn 
replaced  in  1861,  by  a  swinging  draw  which  became  known  as 
the  Second  Macomb's  Dam  Bridge,  and  remained  in  service  until 


52 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


1895,  when  a  Third  Macomb's  Dam,  or  Central  Bridge,  a  steel 
structure,  took  its  place. 

The  oldest  bridge  across  the  Harlem  today  is  the  famous 
High  Bridge,  which  was  completed  in  1849.  It  is  1,450  feet  long  and 
25  feet  wide,  and  extends  between  West  One  Hundred  Seventy- 
fifth  Street  and  Tenth  Avenue,  Manhattan,  and  Aqueduct  Avenue 
near  One  Hundred  Seventieth  Street,  The  Bronx.  It  is  an  excel- 
lent example  of  masonry  arch  construction,  and  is  one  of  the  sights 
of  the  neighborhood. 

High  Bridge,  as  the  name  suggests,  was  so  constructed  as  not 


Courtesy  Department  of  Bridges,  City  of  New  York 

Willis  Avenue  Bridge 


to  interfere  with  the  navigation  of  the  Harlem  River.  This  was 
the  effect  of  the  decision  rendered  by  the  courts  of  the  State  of 
New  York  in  connection  with  the  Macomb's  Dam  Bridge.  It  had 
been  planned  to  conduct  the  water  of  the  Croton  River  by  means 
of  a  low  siphon  bridge  across  the  Harlem  River  to  supply  water 
to  the  City  of  New  York.  But  the  decision  of  1839  caused  the 
Legislature  to  pass  an  act  directing  the  water  commissioners  to 
construct  the  aqueduct  over  the  Harlem  River  with  arches  and 
piers ;  the  arches  to  have  a  span  of  at  least  eighty  feet  and  not  less 
than  one  hundred  feet  from  the  usual  high-water  mark  of  the  river 
to  the  underside  of  the  arches  of  the  crown. 


THE  STORY  OF  GREAT  BRIDGES 


Between  the  King's  and  the  Farmers'  or  Dyckman's  Bridges 
stands  the  Broadway  Bridge,  a  perfect  example  of  its  type.  It  was 
opened  to  the  public  October  14,  1900. 

Facing  the  Broadway  Bridge  is  the  Macomb  Mansion.  In 
1693  this  was  known  as  the  "public  house  at  the  north  end  of  the 
bridge,"  and  in  1776  as  Cox's  Tavern.  It  was  bought  by  Alexander 
Macomb  in  1797,  who  built  nearby  in  1800  the  First  Macomb's 
Dam,  and  in  1848  was  sold  to  the  late  J.  H.  Godwin.  Parts  still 
show  its  age. 

The  Washington  Bridge,  with  its  two  great  steel  arch  spans 
of  510  feet  each  comes  next  and  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  speci- 
mens of  ornamental  bridgework  in  the  world.  It  connects  West 
One  Hundred  Eighty-first  Street,  Manhattan,  with  Aqueduct  Ave- 
nue near  East  One  Hundred  Seventy-first  Street,  The  Bronx.  The 
bridge  was  opened  to  the  public  in  1888,  after  two  years  in  building 
and  at  a  cost  of  nearly  three  millions  of  dollars.  Its  entire  length 
is  2,399  feet,  and  it  is  86  feet  wide.  The  crowns  of  the  arches  are 
13314  feet  above  the  mean  high-water  mark. 

Beginning  at  the  East  River  and  extending  towards  the  Hud- 
son is  the  magnificent  Willis  Avenue  steel  drawbridge  which  sup- 
ports a  heavy  traffic.  It  connects  East  One  Hundred  Twenty-fifth 
Street  and  First  Avenue,  Manhattan,  with  East  One  Hundred 
Thirty-fourth  Street  and  Willis  Avenue,  Bronx.  It  cost  two  mil- 
lion dollars,  and  was  opened  to  the  public  August  22nd,  1901. 

Next  comes  the  Third  Avenue  Bridge  carrying  the  Elevated 
Railroad.  This  is  owned  by  the  Suburban  Rapid  Transit  Company, 
but  there  is  a  free  public  footway.  The  Fourth  Avenue  Bridge 
is  said  to  be  the  heaviest  steel  drawbridge  in  the  world,  and  is 
used  exclusively  for  railroad  crossing. 

The  splendid  Madison  Avenue  Bridge  comes  next,  connecting 
Madison  Avenue,  Manhattan,  with  East  One  Hundred  Thirty- 
eighth  Street,  The  Bronx.  This  was  the  first  bridge  to  be  well 
elevated  above  the  river  so  that  it  would  not  be  necessary  to  open 
the  draw  for  every  passing  vessel.  The  draws  are  not  opened 
before  9  o'clock  in  the  morning  nor  later  than  5  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  so  as  to  avoid  blocking  the  traffic  and  delaying  the 
passengers.  The  first  Madison  Avenue  Bridge,  constructed  in 
1884,  was  replaced  by  a  larger  and  more  substantial  structure, 
which  was  opened  to  the  public  on  July  18th,  1910. 

The  One  Hundred  Forty-fifth  Street  Bridge  connects  West 


•34 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


One  Hundred  Forty-fifth  Street  and  Lenox  Avenue,  Manhattan, 
with  East  One  Hundred  Forty-ninth  Street,  The  Bronx.  It  was 
opened  to  the  public  on  August  24th,  1905.  Then  follow  the  Ma- 
comb's Dam;  New  York  and  Putnam;  Washington;  University 
Heights;  Ship  Canal;  Broadway  and  King's  Bridges. 

Connecting  the  Borough  of  The  Bronx  with  the  Borough  of 
Queens  is  to  be  the  new  steel  Bronx-Astoria  Bridge,  now  in  the 
process  of  construction.  This  bridge,  which  will  be  the  largest 
of  its  kind  in  the  world,  will  consist  of  a  series  of  spans  from  Port 
Morris  over  Randall's  and  Ward's  Islands,  to  the  shore  of  the 
Borough  of  Queens,  and  will  provide  for  direct  railroad  communi- 
cation between  the  two  boroughs.  It  was  designed  by  former 
Bridge  Commissioner,  Gustav  Lindenthal  and  Palmer  and  Horn- 
bostel. 

The  viaduct  in  The  Bronx  will  be  twelve  blocks  long,  from 
One  Hundred  Forty-second  Street  and  Walnut  Avenue,  where  it 
will  be  twenty  feet  above  ground,  thru  the  Port  Morris  yard 
of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford  Railroad,  to  the  water 
front ;  here  its  height  will  be  sixty-five  feet. 

The  first  span,  a  300-foot  bridge  of  the  lift  type,  will  cross 
Bronx  Kills.  There  will  be  a  steel  pier  in  the  center,  so  constructed 
as  to  permit,  in  the  event  of  the  Kills  being  deepened,  as  was  pro- 
posed by  the  War  Department,  the  passage  of  vessels  from  the 
Hudson  River  to  the  Sound  by  way  of  the  Harlem  Ship  Canal. 

Next  will  come  a  2,600-foot  viaduct  across  Randall's  Island, 
connecting  with  the  second  bridge,  a  1,000  foot  riveted  truss  bridge 
composed  of  five  spans  across  Little  Hell  Gate.  This  joins  the 
viaduct  across  Ward's  Island,  which  will  rest  on  concrete  piers  and 
will  be  2,600  feet  long.  This  viaduct  will  join  the  main  bridge 
structure  across  Hell  Gate,  connecting  with  the  Astoria  shore  be- 
tween Ditmars  and  Potter  Avenues,  just  south  of  the  old  Barclay 
Mansion. 

The  railroad  crossing  this  bridge  will  have  a  line  for  freight 
and  another  for  passengers.  The  passenger  line  will  connect  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  and  the  New  Haven  by  means  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania tunnel  under  the  Hudson  River  and  the  tunnel  under  the 
City  at  Thirty-fourth  Street,  thus  making  a  route  thru  The 
Bronx  from  the  southwest  to  New  England  and  Canada.  The 
freight  line  will  come  by  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railroad  along 
the  north  shore  of  Staten  Island  to  St.  George,  thence  by  tunnel 


THE  STORY  OF  GREAT  BRIDGES 


under  the  narrows  to  South  Brooklyn,  and  thence  by  the  Bronx- 
Astoria  Bridge  to  the  Bronx. 

The  finest  bridge  of  all,  however,  will  be  the  Henry  Hudson 
Memorial  Bridge  which  is  to  be  erected  over  the  ship  canal  con- 
necting Manhattan  and  The  Bronx.  This  bridge  will  have  a  span 
of  703  feet  and  will  rank  as  one  of  the  grandest  achievements  in 
bridge  engineering,  as  no  masonry  arch  has  yet  been  built  with  a 
span  of  even  300  feet. 

With  the  possible  exception  of  the  Albany  Post  Road,  which 
extends  along  the  eastern  bank  of  the  historic  Hudson;  the  old 
King's  Bridge  Road  leading  thru  Fordham;  and  the  Boston 
Post  Road,  which  branches  east  at  King's  Bridge,  nearly  all  of  the 
early  highways  have  disappeared  entirely  or  have  been  so  altered 
that  they  are  unrecognizable.  The  old  Westchester  Path,  which 
was  the  first  roadway  cut  out  in  Westchester  County  by  the  early 
pioneers,  is  but  a  memory  today;  and  all  traces  of  its  former 
existence  have  been  obliterated.  In  the  early  Colonial  days  it  was 
the  only  road  leading  from  Manhattan  Island  to  Westchester 
County.  By  going  along  its  crooked  route,  denoted  by  marked 
trees  thru  the  dense  wilderness,  it  was  possible,  if  one  cared 
to  follow  the  Indian  trails,  to  reach  Greenwich  and  the  Berkshire 
Hills. 

Many  of  the  families  followed  the  line  of  the  old  Westchester 
Path  as  is  shown  by  the  early  deeds  which  speak  of  the  old  West- 
chester Path  as  bounding  their  property  on  one  side  or  the  other. 

It  was  also  over  this  path  that  the  Colonial  Legislature  made 
its  flight  to  White  Plains  in  1776,  from  the  scenes  of  its  deliberation 
in  New  York  City,  and  this  was  the  road  chosen  by  Harvey  Birch, 
Fenimore  Cooper's  Spy,  in  his  secret  journeys  for  the  Commander- 
in-Chief  of  the  Continental  army. 


CHAPTER  VII 


THE  PARKS 

The  Parks  Show  Nature  in  Her  Happiest  Mood — Broad  Acres  Yield  to  Sport 
and  Sentiment — Scenes  Hallowed  by  Sacrifices  and  Struggles  of  Our 
Ancestors — A  Page  of  Old  History — The  Bronx  Beautiful  Society. 

HAT  has  already  greatly  added  to  the  attractiveness 
of  The  Bronx  is  its  splendid  chain  of  parks  and  recrea- 
tion places.  All  the  boroughs  have  beautiful  parks, 
I  but  in  none  has  Nature  been  more  lavish  in  her  handi- 
work than  in  those  located  in  The  Bronx. 
In  April,  1883,  the  Legislature  of  New  York,  in  the  face  of 
much  opposition,  passed  an  act  authorizing  an  appointment  of  a 
commission  to  select  one  or  more  parks  beyond  the  Harlem  River. 
This  commission  was  duly  appointed,  and  they  marked  out  the 
sites  of  the  three  large  parks — Pelham,  Bronx  and  Van  Cortlandt 
— and  of  three  little  ones — Crotona,  Claremont  and  St.  Mary's. 
The  commission  consisted  of  Luther  R.  Marsh,  President;  Waldo 
Hutchins,  Louis  Fitzgerald,  Charles  L.  Tiffany,  George  W.  McLean, 
Thomas  J.  Crombie,  William  W.  Niles,  and  John  Mullay,  Secretary, 
nearly  all  of  whom  had  been  from  the  beginning  conspicuously 
active  in  the  movement. 

The  chief  objection  raised  against  the  purchase  of  park  land 
was  that  the  parks  would  be  a  heavy  expense  to  the  city,  and  that 
the  money  was  needed  for  other  purposes.  But  this  was  met  by 
the  argument  that  the  acquisition  by  the  city  of  the  parks  would 
raise  the  value  of  real  estate  in  their  neighborhood,  and  that  the 
city  would  profit  by  the  increased  taxable  value  of  the  property. 
This  was  shown  to  be  the  case  in  regard  to  Central  Park.  The 
experience  of  other  cities,  particularly  Chicago  and  Boston,  was 
cited  to  substantiate  this  statement. 

In  June,  1884,  the  legislature  passed  an  act  giving  possession 
of  the  six  parks  to  the  City  of  New  York,  and  directing  the 
Supreme  Court  to  appoint  a  commission  to  appraise  the  lands. 
This  was  done,  and  the  land  became  the  property  of  the  City  at  a 
cost  of  $9,000,000. 

56 


THE  PARKS 


57 


There  are  seventeen  named  parks  in  the  Borough,  with  a 
total  of  3,916  acres,  besides  numerous  unnamed  grounds  open  to 
the  public.  The  Bronx  has  1,148  more  acreage  of  park  lands, 
including  the  parkways,  than  all  the  other  boroughs  combined. 
They  are  so  evenly  distributed  thruout  the  Borough  that  they 
are  within  the  reach  of  all  and  afford  ample  pleasure  grounds  for 
the  multitudes. 

The  parks  and  parkways  of  The  Bronx  extend  from  one  end 
of  the  Borough  to  the  other.  Beginning  with  the  most  westerly 
park  limit  there  is  the  Spuyten  Duyvil  Parkway,  beginning  at  the 
junction  of  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  and  the  Hudson  River,  and  wind- 
ing over  the  hills  and  thru  the  valleys  until  it  intersects  Van 
Cortlandt  Park  at  Two  Hundred  Seventy-second  Street.  This  park- 
way is  intended  to  be  a  connecting  link,  in  time,  between  the  system 
of  parkways  in  The  Bronx  and  those  in  Manhattan  by  means  of  a 
viaduct  over  the  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek,  to  connect  with  a  similar 
parkway  leading  along  the  western  side  of  Manhattan,  which  will 
be  an  extension  of  Riverside  Drive  and  Boulevard  Lafayette. 

Going  easterly  thru  Van  Cortlandt  Park,  we  enter  the 
Mosholu  Parkway,  which  leads  directly  to  Bronx  Park.  Crossing 
Bronx  Park,  and  still  going  easterly  we  enter  The  Bronx  and 
Pelham  Parkway,  which  brings  us  over  to  the  great  Pelham  Bay 
Park,  and  following  along  the  roadway  thru  Pelham  Bay  Park 
leads  us  up  to  the  northerly  limits  of  the  City,  and  out  into  the  town 
of  Pelham  Manor  and  New  Rochelle. 

The  largest  of  these  parks  are:  Pelham  Bay,  Van  Cortlandt, 
and  Bronx  Parks.  These  three  alone  cover  3,608  acres.  Other 
parks  in  the  Borough  include  Claremont,  Crotona,  De  Voe,  Joseph 
Rodman  Drake,  Echo,  Sigel,  Macomb's  Dam,  Poe,  St.  James,  St. 
Mary's,  University  and  Washington  Bridge. 

Pelham  Bay,  the  largest  of  the  parks,  is  twice  the  size  of 
Central  Park,  and  contains  large  tracts  of  woodland  with  nine 
miles  of  water  front.  It  has  a  fine  athletic  field  and  parade  ground, 
an  18-hole  golf  course,  and  also  two  excellent  bathing  beaches. 
Here  we  have  located  a  tent  city,  named  Orchard  Beach,  where 
families  and  clubs  erect  their  tents  and  spend  the  summer  in  the 
open  air  under  the  supervision  of  the  Park  Department.  ■ 

It  was  in  this  park  that  Thomas  Pell  signed  an  important 
treaty  with  two  Siwanoy  Indian  sachems  in  1654,  which  made 
him  lord  of  all  that  region.    An  iron  fence  that  once  surrounded 


H^  B£4c 

V"    AMUSEMENT    *  / 


RYE,  N.Y. 


PARK 


on  Long 

island  Sound 


ACCESSIBLE  FROM  ALL  POINTS  BETWEEN 
NEW  YORK  CITY  AND  BRIDGEPORT 
OPENS  DECORATION  DAY      CLOSES  SEPTEMBER  15th. 


FINEST  AND  SAFEST  BATHING  BEACH  ON  LONG  ISLAND  SOUND 

New  Concrete  Bathing  Pavilion  with  over  300  Rooms. 
A  SCORE  OF  THE  SAFEST  AND  MOST  MODERN  AMUSEMENT  DEVICES. 


Westchester's  Paradise  for  Children  and  Grown  Ups 

Ideal  for  Sunday  School  Picnics  and  Outings.  Basket  Parties  Welcome.  Accommodations  for  1,000  in 
Grove.  60-foct  Ferris  Wheel — Commanding  a  Magnificent  view  of  surrounding  country.  "Dip  the  Loop" 
Half  Mile  Coaster — Speedy,  Safe  and  Strong.  Mammoth  Circle  Swing — Blood  Tingling  and  Exhilarating. 
Frolic  and  Old  Mill— Will  drive  away  the  blues— Both  Uproariously  Funny.  MANY  OTHER  FEATURES. 
Large  Open  Air  Theatre — Two  high  class  performances  daily.  Immense  Dancing  Pavilion  and  Good  Music 
Tuesday  and  Thursday  evenings.    Most  Luxurious  Bathing  Pavilion  in  United  States. 


RYE  BEACH  PARK 

LET  THEM  ENJOY  THE  DELIGHTFUL  AIR, 
THE  SAFEST  BATHING  ON  THE  SOUND 
and  Dig   in   the    Sand    or    Fly   on   the  Swings,  etc. 


They  will  have  the  care  of  our  personal  attendants  on  the  CAROUSEL 

Plenty  of  room  for  them  to  roam,  or  they  may 
find  an  abundance  of  Free  Games  to  amuse  them 

The  Pony  Track,  around  which  speed  gentle  and  well  broken  ponies,  will 
prove  a  source  of  great  delight  to  them. 

The  Candy,  Ice  Cream  and  Lemonade  are  made  on  the  grounds  from  pure  ingredients 


58 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


the  famous  tree  under  which  it  was  signed,  is  all  that  remains 
to  remind  us  of  "Treaty  Oak,"  which  was  destroyed  in  1906  by  a 
bolt  of  lightning.  Here,  too,  on  October  18,  1776,  Col.  Glover 
with  a  brigade  of  550  Marblehead  fishermen  engaged  Sir  William 
Howe's  army  and  held  it  in  check  long  enough  to  enable  General 
Washington's  forces  to  make  a  successful  retreat  to  White  Plains. 


Pell  Treaty  Oak,  Pelham  Bay  Park 


This  feat  is  memorialized  by  a  tablet  on  the  face  of  a  great  glacial 
boulder  on  the  City  Island  road,  known  as  "Glover's  Rock." 

Extending  thru  this  park,  also,  is  "Split  Rock"  Road.  This 
derives  its  name  from  a  large  boulder  which  seems  to  have  been 
cleft  in  twain  by  a  tree  growing  up  thru  the  middle  of  the  rock. 
Near  this  boulder  is  the  site  of  the  house  of  the  unfortunate  Anne 
Hutchinson  who  was  cruelly  butchered  by  the  Indians. 


THE  PARKS 


59 


Over  the  Hutchinson  River,  which  perpetuates  the  memory  of 
the  fateful  religious  reformer  in  this  region,  is  the  Pelham  Bridge, 
constructed  in  1908.  This  bridge  replaced  an  older  one  built  in 
1870,  which  was  itself  a  successor  to  one  erected  in  1834.  The  Pel- 
ham  Bridge  has  been  famous  for  the  large  fish  that  have  been 
caught  from  it,  ranging  in  weight  from  twenty  to  sixty-three 
pounds. 

The  famous  old  chestnut  tree,  under  whose  spreading  branches 
Lord  Howe  and  his  officers  had  their  luncheon  just  before  the 
battle  of  White  Plains,  is  still  standing  in  a  wooded  dell  north  of 
Eastchester. 

The  region  at  one  time  abounded  in  wild  animals.  Within  two 
centuries,  wolves  were  a  great  pest  in  this  neighborhood.  The 
Provincial  Assembly  enacted  that  in  the  County  of  Westchester 
twenty  shillings  (about  $5)  should  be  paid  for  a  grown  wolf  killed 
by  a  Christian,  and  ten  shillings  ($2.50)  for  one  killed  by  an 
Indian,  and  half  that  sum  respectively  for  a  whelp.  The  remains 
of  wolf-pits  were,  up  to  recently,  to  be  seen  not  far  from  Pelham 
Park.  Besides  the  deer,  the  wild  turkey  existed  in  great  numbers 
on  the  verge  of  the  forest.  It  is  said  that  flocks  of  them  used  to 
fly  from  the  ridge  west  of  Van  Cortlandt  Park  across  Tippet's 
Brook  to  a  hill  east  of  this  little  stream.  The  flight  was  always 
begun  by  a  large  black  cock,  and  was  made  at  sunset.  The  leader 
gave  the  note  and  the  flock  were  at  once  on  the  wing. 

Beavers  were  very  common  on  the  Bronx  River.  The  last  of 
them  were  seen  there  about  1790.  It  is  said  they  at  one  time  changed 
the  course  of  the  river  by  a  dam.  If  the  current  was  feeble,  they 
saved  themselves  trouble  by  building  the  dam  straight  across ;  but, 
if  it  was  strong,  they  built  the  dam  in  a  convex  shape,  so  as  to 
resist  the  strength  of  the  water.  It  was,  therefore,  possible  to 
tell  the  force  of  a  stream  by  the  shape  of  the  beaver  dams. 

Van  Cortlandt  Park,  a  botanical  reservation,  is  situated  in 
Northwest  Bronx  and  is  the  second  largest  in  the  Borough.  On 
account  of  its  accessibility  it  is  much  further  advanced  in  its 
development  and  is  more  generally  used  than  Pelham  Bay  Park. 
Its  smooth  150-acre  parade  ground,  hemmed  in  on  three  sides  by 
rugged  hills  and  picturesque  landscapes,  makes  a  very  impressive 
scene.  On  this  green  sward  the  National  Guardsmen  in  summer 
fight  their  sham  battles  and  hold  their  dress  parades.    The  field 


60 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


is  also  used  for  athletic  sports  of  all  kinds,  particularly  baseball, 
golf  and  polo. 

The  parade  ground  is  the  site  of  Adrien  Van  der  Donck's 
Planting  Field  (1653),  where  he  located  his  bouwerie.  Van  der 
Donck  had  been  sheriff  of  Rensselaerswyck,  but  his  young,  newly- 
wedded  wife  persuaded  him  to  remove  to  Manhattan.  Before  he 
had  completed  his  arrangements  for  removal,  his  pretty  cottage 
burned  down;  and,  as  it  was  in  the  depth  of  an  inclement  winter 
(1647),  Van  Corlear  invited  his  houseless  neighbors  to  share  his 
hospitality.    A  quarrel  soon  arose  because  the  host  insisted  that 


Van  Cortlandt  Vault,  Van  Cortlandt  Park 


Van  der  Donck  was  bound  to  make  good  to  his  patroon  the  value 
of  the  lost  house.  Van  der  Donck  retorted  sharply,  and  was  orderd 
from  the  house.  Kieft,  who  was  indebted  to  him  for  a  large  amount 
of  borrowed  money,  permitted  him  to  purchase  from  the  Indians  a 
large  tract  of  land,  now  part  of  Van  Cortlandt  Park,  and  granted 
him  the  privileges  of  patroon.  This  took  the  name  of  Colen  Donck, 
on  Donck's  Colony.  Many  of  the  Dutch  were  in  the  habit  of  calling 
this  estate  de  Jonkheer's  Landt,  Jonkheer  being  a  title  which  in 
Holland  was  applied  to  the  sons  of  noblemen.  The  English  cor- 
rupted it  and  called  it  "Yonkers,"  whence  the  name  of  the  town 
north  of  Van  Cortlandt  Park. 

Van  Cortlandt  Lake  comprises  about  seventy-five  acres  and 
during  winter  offers  opportunity  to  ten  or  fifteen  thousand  skaters. 


THE  PARKS 


61 


and  in  summer  is  dotted  by  those  who  love  to  go  out  in  small  boats. 
It  was  made  in  1700  by  throwing  an  embankment  across  Tippett's 
Brook,  the  Mosholu  of  the  Indians. 

No  spot  of  ground  around  New  York  is  so  hallowed  by  Revolu- 
tionary memories  as  this.  It  was  on  Vault  Hill,  to  the  northwest 
of  the  Van  Cortlandt  mansion,  that  Washington  in  1781  kept  a 
string  of  camp  fires  blazing  for  several  days  to  deceive  Clinton 
across  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek,  while  the  allied  French  and  American 
armies  were  speeding  across  the  Jerseys  on  their  way  to  Philadel- 


Van  Cortlandt  Mansion,  Van  Cortlandt  Park 


phia  and  Yorktown.  Vault  Hill  derived  its  name  from  the  ancient 
burial  place  of  the  Van  Cortlandts.  It  was  in  this  vault  that  the 
records  of  the  City  of  New  York  were  hidden  by  Augustus  Van 
Cortlandt,  then  City  Clerk,  when  the  City  was  evacuated  by  the 
Americans  in  1776,  and  preserved  until  peace  was  restored. 

In  the  lower  part  of  Van  Cortlandt  Park,  in  front  of  the 
Parade  Ground,  still  stands  the  historic  mansion  erected  in  1748 
by  Frederick  Van  Cortlandt,  who  married  Frances  Jay,  daughter 
of  the  ancestor  of  Chief  Justice  John  Jay.  Frederick  Van  Cort- 
landt refers  to  it  in  his  will,  written  in  1749  as  "the  large  stone 
dwelling  house  which  I  am  about  finishing." 


62 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Two  eagles  surmounted  the  posts  of  an  old  gateway  which, 
according  to  Bolton's  "History  of  Westchester,"  were  spoils  taken 
from  a  Spanish  privateer,  and  presented  to  the  house  by  a  British 
Admiral.  The  Eagles  have  disappeared  since  the  sale  to  the  City. 
General  Washington  occupied  this  house  for  a  brief  time  in  1781, 
prior  to  his  retreat  to  Yorktown,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  in 
1783  spent  a  night  there  before  crossing  King's  Bridge  on  his 
triumphal  entry  into  the  City  of  New  York.    The  house  is  still  in 


Van  Cortlandt  Mills 


an  excellent  state  of  preservation,  and  is  used  as  a  repository  of 
Colonial  and  Revolutionary  relics,  in  the  care  of  the  Colonial 
Dames.  It  is  furnished,  as  in  the  old  historic  days,  with  high 
canopied  bedsteads  and  other  quaint  household  articles.  In  the 
kitchen  may  still  be  seen  the  old  fashioned  utensils  and  the  large 
fireplace.  It  was  in  the  capacious  rooms  of  this  grand,  old  resi- 
dence that  Washington,  Rochambeau,  the  Duke  of  Clarence  (later 
King  William  the  Fourth),  and  other  celebrities  were  entertained. 
During  the  Revolution  this  structure  was  the  headquarters  for  the 
Hessian  Jaegers.  Captain  Rowe  of  the  Princhbank  Jaegers,  having 
been  mortally  wounded  by  the  American  water  guard  stationed  on 


THE  PARKS 


63 


Wild  Boar  Hill,  was  conveyed  into  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  Van 
Cortlandt  mansion,  where,  after  faintly  speaking  a  few  words  to 
his  broken-hearted  bride-elect,  became  exhausted  by  the  effort,  and 
expired  in  her  arms. 

Grand  old  trees  surround  the  ancient  mansion  and  spread  their 
mighty  boughs  above  the  eaves  of  that  stately  old  building,  as 
if  to  shield  it  from  the  blustering  winds  that  on  stormy  days  sweep 
over  the  ridge.    South  of  the  mansion,  surrounded  by  a  moat,  is 


Fifteenth  Milestone  Tenth  Milestone 


the  Dutch  garden.  One  of  the  stones  of  the  old  mill  forms  the 
base  for  the  pedestal  of  a  sun  dial.  Under  the  shadow  of  this 
building  may  be  seen  the  grim  Rhinelander  Sugar-House  Prison 
window,  removed  hither  from  Duane  and  Rose  Streets,  Manhattan. 
This  Rhinelander  Sugar  House  was  used  during  the  Revolutionary 
War  as  a  British  military  prison,  and  it  was  against  the  solid 
iron  grated  bars  of  this  window  that  the  patriots  pressed  their 
faces  to  get  a  breath  of  pure  air.  The  window  was  presented  by 
T.  J.  0.  Rhinelander,  and  dedicated  on  May  26,  1903.  It  is  flanked 
by  two  cannons  from  Fort  Independence. 

A  crumbling  old  millstone  on  the  bank  of  the  mill  race,  near 
the  site  of  the  original  Van  Cortlandt  house,  is  the  only  remaining 


64 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


relic  of  the  picturesque  saw  and  grist  mills  erected  by  Jacobus 
Van  Cortlandt,  in  1700,  which  stood  on  the  west  side  of  the  bridge 
crossing  the  dam;  they  were  struck  by  lightning  and  destroyed  in 
1901.  To  the  westward,  on  Newton  Avenue,  part  of  the  old  Albany 
Post  Road,  near  Two  Hundred  Twenty-second  Street,  may  still 
be  seen  one  of  the  two  surviving  milestones  in  this  Borough, 
recently  reset  by  the  City  History  Club.  It  was  the  fifteenth  on 
the  route  to  Albany;  the  other  one  (the  tenth  milestone)  is  located 
at  One  Hundred  Sixty-eighth  Street  and  Boston  Road. 


Hadley  House 


About  four  hundred  paces  north  is  the  Van  Cortlandt's  miller's 
house,  a  white  house  built  for  the  miller  of  the  old  estate. 

Further  along  on  the  left  is  the  Hadley  house,  partly  of  wood, 
unpainted,  and  partly  of  stone  covered  with  vines.  It  probably 
antedates  the  Van  Cortlandt  mansion.  It  is  said  to  have  given 
shelter  more  than  once  to  Washington.  In  the  adjoining  woods 
many  relics  have  been  found,  including  old  English  muskets,  and 
an  Indian  skeleton  in  a  sitting  position,  holding  a  small  child's 
skeleton  in  its  arms.    Just  above,  north  of  Riverside  Lane,  is  the 


ARE 


GO  TO  KIPFS 


Situated  in  most 
picturesque  part  of 
Bronx  directly  op- 
posite Fordham  en- 
trance of  Bronx  Park 
Large,  shady  veran- 
da, where  you  can  be 
entertained  by  a  con- 
stant stream  of  auto- 
mobiles from  four  dif- 
ferent directions 

Easily  accessible 
from  any  point  in  the 
city.  All  cars  stop 
at  or  transfer  to  the 
door. 

Musical  Entertainment 

Afiernoons  &  Evenings 

Refreshments 

of  Every  Description 


Meals  a  la  Carte 

At  Popular  Prices 


Large  up-to-date  Sheds  for  the  accommodation  of  Horses  and  Automobiles 

KIPP'S  PARKWAY  HOTEL, 


Under  the  management  of  Frank  W.  Kipp 
for  the  past  thirteen  years 


Cor.  Fordham  Road  &  Southern  Boulevard,  Bronx,  N.  Y.  C. 

ZHP  Directly  Opposite  Bronx  Zoo.      Entrance  at  1 82d 

oo  i  aver n  sr.&so.Boui.  henry  jaeger,  Prop.  ™ 

J  1       1  remon 


Automobile  Parties  a  Specialty    Excellent  Service    Popular  Prices 
Vocal  and  Instrumental  Music  every  Sunday 


East  Side  of  White  Plains  Road,  South  of  Pelham  Parkway.'  Near  Bronx  Park,  N.  Y.  C. 


Have  you  ever  had  the 
pleasure  of  dining  at 


Table  d'hote 

from  1 2 
till  8:30  P.  M. 
A  la  Carte 
till  1 1  P.  M. 

Italian  Table 
d'hote  Din- 
ner and  a  la 
Carte 

Real  Italian 
Spaghetti  in 
Real  Italian 
Style  our 
Specialty 

_  A  visit  to 
SORMANI'S 

will  leave 
pleasant  recol- 
lections 

Telephone 
168  Williamsbridge 


TEL.  TREMONT  843 


WM.  M.  TIVOLI 


MOHEGAN  TAVERN 


HIGH  CLASS  CABARET 


E 178th  c ,  ,  S 
.  179th  otreet  c 


SOUTHERN  BOULEVARD 
CROTONA  PARKWAY 

AND  MOHEGAN  AVENUE 

ONE  BLOCK  TO  177th  and  180th  ST.  CROSSTOWN  CARS 


Bronx,  N.  Y. 

M  DIM 

Large  Hall  Free  for  Smokers,  Entertainments,  and  Receptions  for  Clubs 

Every  Evening  at  8  o'clock 


THE  PARKS 


65 


Somler  house,  the  older  portion  dating  back  to  the  Revolution. 

Near  Hawthorne  Avenue,  west  of  Valentine  Lane,  is  the  re- 
mains of  Washington's  chestnut,  a  gigantic  tree  over  two  centuries 
old,  which,  tradition  says,  Washington  used  as  a  place  of  ob- 
servation. 

At  the  corner  of  Hawthorne  Avenue  is  the  Lawrence  house, 
where  Washington  stopped.  This  house  was  probably  given  to 
Lawrence  as  a  reward  for  his  services  as  guide. 

At  Sycamore  Avenue  and  Two  Hundred  and  Fifty-third  Street, 
one  block  south  of  the  Morrisania  mansion,  stands  the  former  home 
of  Mark  Twain,  where  he  lived  in  1901. 

Another  interesting  scene  worth  visiting  in  Van  Cortlandt 
Park  is  the  Indian  Field  at  Two  Hundred  Thirty-seventh  Street 
and  Mount  Vernon  Avenue.  On  this  plot  lie  the  remains  of  Chief 
Nimham  and  seventeen  Stockbridge  Indians,  who  died  on  August 
31,  1778,  fighting  on  the  side  of  the  patriots.  The  Indians  put  up  a 
desperate  resistance  against  the  British  Legion  Dragoons,  but  were 
overmatched  by  superior  numbers.  Chief  Nimham  wounded  Sim- 
coe,  one  of  the  British  commanders  but  was  himself  killed  by 
Wright,  his  orderly  Hussar.  A  cairn,  upon  which  has  been  fas- 
tened a  bronze  memorial  tablet  by  the  Bronx  Chapter  of  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  is  a  tribute  worthy  of 
that  valorous  band  who  gave  their  lives  for  liberty.  It  bears  the 
following  inscription : 

AUGUST  31,  1778. 
UPON  THIS  FIELD, 
CHIEF  NIMHAM, 
AND  SEVENTEEN  STOCKBRIDGE  INDIANS, 
AS  ALLIES  OF  THE  PATRIOTS, 
GAVE  THEIR  LIVES  FOR  LIBERTY. 


Erected  by  Bronx  Chapter, 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution, 
Mount  Vernon,  New  York. 
June  14,  1906. 

The  Mosholu  Parkway  over  6,500  feet  long  and  600  feet  wide 
leads  direct  from  the  Van  Cortlandt  to  the  Bronx  Park.  The 
grandeur  and  natural  beauty  of  the  Bronx  Park  is  unsurpassed. 
The  Zoological  Park  and  the  Botanical  Gardens  are  the  most  com- 
plete, and  are  said  to  be  the  finest  in  the  world. 


66 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


The  Zoological  Park  is  free  to  the  public  every  day,  except 
Mondays  and  Thursdays  (if  not  holidays)  when  the  admission  fee 
is  25  cents.  Almost  every  specimen  of  wild  animal  is  to  be  found 
here  amid  surroundings  as  nearly  like  those  of  their  native  haunts 
as  it  is  possible  to  create. 

The  Botanical  Gardens  are  alone  worth  a  visit  to  the  park, 


Indian  Monument,  Van  Cortlandt  Park 


and  are  a  wonderland  of  trees,  flowers,  and  shrubberies.  The 
celebrated  Hemlock  Grove  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Bronx  River 
is  a  favorite  resort  of  artists  who  find  many  an  inspiring  scene  for 
brush  or  pencil. 

Other  interesting  points  are:  The  Crystal  Palace,  the  100-ton 
Rocking  Stone,  and  the  Boars'  Den,  a  natural  cave  in  the  rocks. 

Bronx  Park  was  at  one  time  the  property  of  the  Lorillards, 


THE  PARKS 


67 


whose  mansion  still  stands  near  the  waterfall  that  ran  the  old 
snuff  mill  from  which  the  family  derived  its  fortune.  During  the 
Revolution  it  was  the  one  place  in  the  Colonies  where  snuff  was 
manufactured.  The  manor-house  has  been  renovated  and  turned 
into  a  museum  by  the  Bronx  Society  of  Arts  and  Sciences.  T.he 
Lorillard  Mansion  Museum  is  open  free  to  the  public  from  2  to  5 
p.  m.  It  would  thrill  the  heart  of  an  antiquarian  to  see  the  varied 
exhibits,  historical  relics,  and  countless  other  curiosities. 


Elephant  House,  Bronx  Park 


Thru  a  rocky  chasm  flows  the  romantic  Bronx  River,  made 
famous  by  Lord  North.  His  Lordship  once  remarked  that  Howe 
should  have  sailed  his  fleet  up  the  Bronx  River,  and  thus  cut  off 
Washington's  retreat.  Had  Howe  followed  up  this  ludicrous 
order  the  British  fleet  would,  no  doubt,  have  remained  there  to 
this  day.  The  Bronx  River  runs  directly  thru  part  of  the  park 
from  north  to  south,  varying  in  width  from  50  to  400  feet. 

Crotona  Park  is  situated  in  what  is  now  one  of  the  most  popu- 
lous sections  of  the  Borough,  and  with  its  ball  fields,  tennis  courts, 
athletic  fields,  and  Indian  Lake,  affords  splendid  recreation  grounds 
for  those  living  in  its  immediate  neighborhood.  Many  improve- 
ments have  been  made  in  this  park  within  the  last  few  years.  In 


68 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


the  northwest  corner  of  the  park  stands  the  Borough  Hall,  erected 
in  1897. 

The  land  comprising  Crotona  Park  constituted  the  Bathgate 
Farm.  Alexander  Bathgate,  a  Scotchman,  who  came  to  this  coun- 
try early  in  the  nineteenth  century,  was  overseer  on  the  farm  of 
Gouverneur  Morris,  the  First.  He  was  frugal  and  thrifty,  and 
he  saved  enough  to  purchase  the  farm  from  the  second  Gouverneur 
Morris. 


"Gunda,"  The  Famous  Elephant  of  Bronx  Park  Zoo 

Crotona  Parkway,  100  feet  wide,  connects  Crotona  Park  with 
Bronx  Park.    It  was  opened  in  1910. 

Claremont  Park  is  situated  on  very  high  natural  ground  and 
gives  an  extensive  view  of  the  surrounding  territory  on  all  sides. 
This  was  formerly  known  as  the  Zborowski  Farm,  which  Martin 
Zborowski  obtained  as  a  dowry  from  the  Morris  family  thru 
his  marriage  to  Anna  Morris.  The  headquarters  of  the  Bronx  Park 
Department  is  located  in  what  was  known  as  the  Zborowski  man- 
sion, a  stone  building  erected  in  1859,  and  is  evidently  on  the  site  of 
an  older  building  dating  about  1676.  Beyond  is  the  famous  Black 
Swamp,  where  cattle  have  been  lost  since  the  time  of  the  Indians. 
For  years  it  has  defied  the  efforts  of  all  contractors  to  fill  it  up. 


THE  PARKS 


69 


Claremont  Park  is  connected  with  Crotona  Park  by  means  of 
Wendover  Avenue.  A  little  north  of  Claremont  Park  are  located 
the  smaller  parks,  known  as  Echo  Park,  St.  James  Park  and  Poe 
Park.  Poe  Park  is  so  named  because  adjacent  to  the  park  was  the 
Poe  Cottage,  recently  removed  to  the  Park  and  where  Edgar  Allen 
Poe  wrote  many  of  his  poems.  Here,  Virginia,  his  invalid  wife, 
died  and  was  buried  from  the  Fordham  Manor  Dutch  Reformed 
Church,  Kingsbridge  Road  and  Aqueduct  Avenue.  In  Poe  Park, 
directly  opposite  the  cottage,  there  is  a  bust  of  Poe  with  an  inscrip- 


Bird  Court,  Bronx  Park 


tion,  erected  by  the  Bronx  Society  of  Arts  and  Sciences  on  the 
centenary  of  his  birth,  January  19th,  1909.  In  the  Cromwell 
house  near  the  Poe  cottage  lived  an  old  lady  who  supplied  Poe 
with  the  necessities  of  life  during  his  deepest  poverty. 

St.  Mary's  Park  is  situated  at  the  southerly  end  of  the  Borough 
and  was  formerly  a  portion  of  the  property  of  Gouverneur  Morris, 
who  lies  buried  in  the  churchyard  of  St.  Ann's  Church,  within  a 
few  feet  of  the  park. 

In  the  northwesterly  end  of  the  Borough  are  Franz  Sigel 
Park,  Macomb's  Dam  Park,  University  Park  and  Washington 
Bridge  Park;  all  small  but  splendidly  located,  and  adding  much 
to  the  general  beauty  of  the  Borough.   Franz  Sigel  Park,  originally 


70 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


called  Cedar  Park  from  the  number  of  cedar  trees  growing  there, 
was  so  renamed,  in  1902,  in  memory  of  the  heroic  Civil  War  veteran 
who  lived  during  the  latter  part  of  his  life  not  far  from  Cedar  Park. 

Recently  some  of  the  members  of  the  North  Side  Board  of 
Trade  and  The  Bronx  Industrial  Bureau  called,  thru  W.  R. 
Messenger,  the  Secretary  of  the  Bureau,  a  meeting  of  citizens  in 


Lorillard  Mansion,  Bronx  Park 


the  Morris  High  School  to  consider  the  organization  of  a  society 
which  should  have  for  its  object  the  preservation  of  the  natural 
beauties  of  the  Borough  and  the  improvement  of  its  home  sur- 
roundings. A  large  and  interested  body  of  citizens  responded  to  the 
call,  and  the  meeting  resulted  in  the  organization  of  the  Bronx- 
Beautiful  Society. 

Among  those  urging  its  formation  and  indicating  its  held  of 
usefulness  were  the  Hon.  C.  C.  Miller,  President  of  the  Borough; 
Hon.  Joseph  A.  Goulden,  ex-member  of  Congress;  Hon.  Thomas 


THE  PARKS 


71 


J.  Higgins,  Commissioner  of  Parks;  Chancellor  Elmer  E.  Brown, 
of  New  York  University;  R.  E.  Simon,  President  of  the  Bronx 
Industrial  Bureau ;  E.  B.  Boynton,  President  of  the  American 
Realty  Company ;  Hon.  James  L.  Wells,  who  was  elected  Presi- 
dent of  the  Society;  Chancellor  Brown  became  its  Vice  President; 
Hon.  Joseph  A.  Goulden  was  made  Chairman  of  the  Executive 
Committee,  and  Charles  F.  Minor,  manager  of  The  Bronx  branch 


Bathgate  Homestead 


of  the  Knickerbocker  Trust  Company,  became  Treasurer,  while 
W.  R.  Messenger  was  elected  secretary.  Other  members  of  the 
Executive  Committee  were  J.  J.  Amory,  E.  B.  Boynton,  Prof.  Irvin 
Chaffee,  William  S.  Germain,  Rev.  Thomas  F.  Gregg,  Rev.  W.  H. 
Kephart,  Hon.  F.  D.  Wilsey,  R.  E.  Simon,  W.  R.  Messenger,  and 
Olin  J.  Stephens.  To  this  committee  have  since  been  added  Charles. 
Hilton  Brown  and  Mrs.  Miller,  of  Mount  Hope. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS 

How  the  Future  of  the  Child  is  Anticipated  and  the  Schools  Turn  out  the  Men 
and  Women  of  Tomorrow — Churches — How  the  Spiritual  and  Moral 
Welfare  is  looked  After — Hospitals — Benevolent  and  Charitable  Institu- 
tions— Cemeteries. 

N  educational  facilities  The  Bronx  possesses  all  that 
can  be  desired.  No  civic  institutions  have  been 
more  zealously  looked  after  by  the  municipality 
than  the  public  schools.  True,  some  of  the  lower 
grades  have  been  necessarily  put  on  part  time  be- 
cause of  the  enormous  increase  in  population  in  the  last 
two  years;  but  many  new  schools  are  now  in  course  of  erection 
and  the  work  is  being  pushed  with  all  vigor  so  that  in  due  time 
there  will  be  a  seat  for  every  child  in  The  Bronx. 

Search  among  the  old  records  has  failed  to  reveal  just  where 
and  when  the  first  school  in  the  Borough  was  established.  It  was 
in  a  quaint  little  story-and-a-half  schoolhouse  once  standing  just 
east  of  the  old  Boston  Post  Road,  now  Third  Avenue,  and  One 
Hundred  Fifty-sixth  Street  that  the  gentry  of  the  neighborhood, 
including  the  various  branches  of  the  Morris  family,  learned  the 
rudiments  of  reading,  writing,  and  ciphering.  Bolton  in  his  "His- 
tory of  the  County  of  Westchester"  says  that  the  first  schoolhouse 
in  Eastchester  was  erected  in  1683,  but  it  hardly  seems  possible 
that  the  burghers'  children  with  their  thirst  for  knowledge  were 
so  long  without  a  school. 

In  Westchester  the  English  school  was  established  and  main- 
tained by  the  British  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in 
Foreign  Parts.  The  first  schoolmaster  of  whom  we  have  any  rec- 
ord is  Edward  Fitzgerald  who  served  in  1709.  He  seems  to  have 
taught  in  the  school  only  provisionally,  for  in  that  year  the  Rev. 
John  Bartow  wrote  to  the  Society  recommending  the  appointment 
of  Daniel  Clark,  the  son  of  a  clergyman,  as  schoolmaster.  Mr. 
Clark  served  from  1710  to  1713,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Charles 
Glover,  who  held  the  position  until  1719.    Mr.  Glover  was  paid  a 

72 


EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS 


73 


salary  of  eighteen  pounds  per  annum,  which  was  considered  quite 
an  income  in  those  days. 

Mr.  William  Forster,  who  subsequently  opposed  Judge  Lewis 
Morris  in  the  election  for  representative  in  the  Assembly,  is  next 
mentioned  as  the  schoolmaster  at  Westchester.  His  remuneration 
was  ten  pounds  per  annum  and  a  gratuity  of  ten  pounds. 
He  served  until  1743,  and  the  following  year  was  succeeded 
by  Mr.  Basil  Bartow,  the  son  of  the  Rev.  John  Bartow, 
who  held  the  position  until  1762.  There  was  a  vacancy  for 
two  years  which  was  filled  by  Mr.  Nathaniel'  Seabury,  a  son 
of  the  Society's  missionary  at  Hempstead,  Long  Island,  and  a 
brother  of  the  Rev.  Samuel  Seabury,  rector  of  the  parish.  The 
power  of  appointment  had  been  vested  by  the  Propagation  Society 
in  the  rector ;  George  Youngs  succeeded  Nathaniel  Seabury  in  1768, 
and  served  until  1772.  There  was  a  vacancy  again  for  two  years, 
and  in  1774  Mr.  Gott  accepted  the  appointment  and  held  the  office 
until  the  Revolution.  After  the  war  the  school  passed  from  the 
authority  of  the  church  to  that  of  the  town. 

It  was  not,  however,  until  1874,  when  the  Twenty-third  and 
the  Twenty-fourth  Wards  were  annexed  to  New  York  City  and 
the  schools  passed  under  the  control  of  the  Board  of  Education, 
that  they  developed  to  any  degree  of  efficiency. 

Since  the  consolidation  of  the  Greater  City  in  1897,  the  public 
school  system  in  the  Borough  has  reached  its  highest  mark.  From 
a  small  number  of  scattered  schools  with  a  few  thousand  pupils 
there  has  grown  a  school  population  of  86,000,  housed  in  fifty  ele- 
mentary school  buildings  and  one  secondary  school.  There  is  a  class 
for  crippled  children  in  Public  School  No.  4  at  Prospect  Avenue 
and  One  Hundred  and  Seventy-sixth  Street.  They  are  transported 
to  and  from  the  school  by  means  of  two  stages.  Open-air  classes 
are  provided  for  enemic  children,  who  are  supplied  with  free 
lunches  and  sitting-out  paraphernalia. 

Besides  these  schools  there  are  within  the  Borough  limits 
twenty  parochial  schools  and  the  two  great  universities — New  York 
and  Fordham. 

The  New  York  University,  founded  in  1831,  ranks  among  the 
foremost  institutions  of  learning  in  the  United  States.  The 
founders  had  an  idea  of  grandeur  and  beauty  when  they  selected 
this  spot  for  the  celebrated  college.  It  is  charmingly  situated  on  a 
forty-acre  elevation  on  Fordham  Heights  and  overlooks  the  Harlem 


74 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


and  Hudson  Rivers,  as  well  as  Long  Island  Sound.  Its  environ- 
ments are  ideal  and  invigorating  for  the  educational  advantages 
and  physical  opportunities  provided  under  the  experienced  and  able 
supervision  of  Dr.  Elmer  Ellsworth  Brown,  Chancellor,  and  a 
most  distinguished  faculty. 

About  five  thousand  students  are  distributed  thru  the  fol- 


New  York  University 

lowing  departments:  College  of  Arts  and  Pure  Science,  Graduate 
School,  School  of  Pedagogy,  School  of  Commerce,  Law  School,  and 
Medical  College. 

Adjoining  the  Library  Building  is  the  "Hall  of  Fame,"  where 
are  recorded  on  bronze  tablets  the  names  of  America's  immortals 
in  science,  literature,  art,  law,  politics  and  other  fields  of  noble 
endeavor.  These  names  are  selected  by  a  committee  of  men  who 
are  themselves  leaders  in  their  respective  professions,  and  who  are 
thus  best  qualified  to  pass  judgment  upon  such  matters. 


EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS 


75 


The  site  of  Fort  Number  Eight  was  acquired  by  the  University 
in  1907.    It  is  marked  by  a  boulder  inscribed: 

The  Site 

of 

Fort  Number  Eight 
1776-1783. 

Fordham  University,  established  ten  years  later,  has  a  wide- 
spread fame,  and  its  students  come  from  every  quarter  of  the 
globe.  The  college  is  located  in  Fordham  at  the  northern  part  of 
The  Bronx.  Since  its  inception,  in  1841,  it  has  been  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Society  of  Jesus.  No  college  thru- 
out  the  land  is  more  thoro  in  its  system  of  education  than  this, 
and  no  student  gets  his  university  degree  until  he  has  attained  the 
high  intellectual  qualifications  for  which  the  university  is  noted. 

The  university  includes  three  departments:  The  Department 
of  Philosophy  and  Arts,  the  Department  of  Medicine  and  the  De- 
partment of  Law.  A  school  of  Pharmacy  was  added  last  year,  and 
Schools  of  Dentistry  and  Engineering  will  be  established  in  1914. 

At  the  corner  of  Fordham  Road  and  Sedgwick  Avenue,  on 
the  site  of  the  Old  Dutch  Burial  Ground,  stands  the  imposing 
Webb's  Academy  and  Home  for  Shipbuilders.  It  was  founded  and 
endowed  by  the  eminent  shipbuilder  and  naval  architect,  William 
Henry  Webb,  who  is  noted  for  his  ship,  the  D unci erb erg,  built  in 
1864  for  the  United  States  Government  and  afterwards  sold  it  to 
France.  The  Academy  gives  young  men,  who  are  citizens  of  the 
United  States  and  who  pass  the  entrance  examination,  free  instruc- 
tion in  the  science  and  the  art  of  shipbuilding  and  marine  engine 
building.  It  furnishes  its  students  with  board  and  lodging  as  well 
as  with  all  of  the  necessary  tools  and  materials.  The  Home  affords 
free  relief  and  support  to  aged,  indigent,  or  unfortunate  ship- 
builders or  marine  engine  builders,  as  well  as  to  their  wives  or 
widows. 

Other  institutions  of  importance  are :  The  Morris  High  School 
on  Boston  Road,  Classon's  Point  Military  Academy,  and  the  Convent 
Schools  and  Academies  of  Mount  St.  Vincent,  St.  Joseph,  St. 
Jerome,  St.  Martin  of  Tours,  and  Mount  St.  Ursula. 

The  spiritual  and  moral  welfare  of  the  community  is  looked 
after  by  one  hundred  and  seventy-seven  churches,  made  up  of  the 
following  denominations :  Baptist,  13 ;  Congregational,  6 ;  Disciples 


76 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


of  Christ,  2 ;  Jewish,  12 ;  Lutheran,  23 ;  Methodist,  26 ;  Moravian, 1 ; 
Presbyterian,  17 ;  Protestant  Episcopal,  25 ;  Reformed  Church  of 
America,  9 ;  Reformed  Episcopal,  1 ;  Seventh  Day  Adventists,  3 ; 
Roman  Catholic,  38,  and  United  Presbyterian,  1. 

Accessory  to  these  are  many  charitable  and  benevolent  insti- 
tutions, as  well  as  hospitals  and  free  dispensaries.  In  these  the 
wants  of  the  needy  are  looked  after  and  the  sick  are  admitted  free, 


Morris  High  School 


if  too  poor  to  pay  for  treatment.  On  the  staffs  of  these  hospitals 
are  many  distinguished  physicians  and  surgeons  who  receive  large 
fees  in  private  practice,  but  who,  as  humanitarians,  give  their 
time  and  service  to  the  poor  without  remuneration. 

There  are  ten  hospitals  in  The  Bronx,  three  of  which  have 
ambulance  service  answering  all  calls  in  the  Borough.  Fordham 
Hospital,  established  in  1882,  is  under  the  charge  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  Bellevue  and  Allied  Hospitals.  It  is  not  only  the 
busiest  hospital,  but  it  covers  more  territory  than  any  of  the  other 


EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS 


77 


institutions;  its  ambulance  district  reaches  from  East  One  Hun- 
dred Seventieth  Street  to  City  Island.  The  hospital  is  admirably 
situated  at  Southern  Boulevard  and  Crotona  Avenue  and  faces  the 
Bronz  Zoological  Park.  An  excellent  corps  of  physicians  and 
surgeons  treat  an  average  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  patients  a  day. 
There  are  one  hundred  and  fifty  beds  distributed  in  six  wards, 
and  in  all  there  are  accommodations  for  five  hundred  patients. 

Reposing  upon  the  rocky  heights  at  Cauldwell  and  Westchester 
Avenues  is  Lebanon  Hospital,  formerly  the  Ursuline  Convent.  Al- 
tho  incorporated  in  1890  by  Jewish  philanthropists  its  doors  are 
open  to  all,  regardless  of  nationality  or  creed.  Connected  with 
the  hospital  is  a  free  dispensary  and  a  splendid  training  school 
for  nurses. 

For  the  eight  months  preceding  December  31st,  1912,  2,593 
patients  were  treated  in  the  hospital.  In  addition  the  ambulance 
service  responded  to  1,639  calls,  of  which  1,436  were  accident  cases 
that  were  taken  to  the  hospital  for  treatment.  During  the  same 
period  27,309  patients  were  treated  in  the  dispensary  free  of 
charge. 

The  hospital  is  maintained  partly  by  voluntary  subscription 
and  donations,  and  partly  by  the  city.  Its  ambulance  territory  is 
from  One  Hundred  Forty-ninth  to  One  Hundred  Seventieth  Streets. 

Lincoln  Hospital,  at  East  One  Hundred  Forty-first  Street  and 
Concord  Avenue,  was  originally  incorporated  in  1845,  as  a  colored 
home  and  hospital.  In  1901  it  was  opened  to  the  general  public 
and  an  ambulance  service  was  added,  covering  the  territory  from 
Harlem  River  to  One  Hundred  Forty-ninth  Street.  It  provides 
separate  buildings  for  consumptive  and  maternity  patients,  and  a 
detached  pavilion  for  persons  afflicted  with  infectious  diseases.  It 
has  also  a  home  for  the  aged,  infirm  and  destitute  colored  people 
of  both  sexes;  a  home  for  incurables;  and  a  training  school  for 
colored  nurses.  The  hospital  has  a  capacity  of  four  hundred  beds. 
It  is  supported  by  voluntary  subscriptions,  donations  and  bequests. 

St.  Joseph's  Hospital  for  consumptives,  a  Roman  Catholic 
institution,  is  located  at  St.  Ann's  and  Brook  Avenues, 
East  One  Hundred  Forty-third  and  One  Hundred  Forty-fourth 
Streets.  It  was  established  in  1882,  and  is  in  charge  of  the  Sisters 
of  the  Poor  of  Saint  Francis,  a  German  order.  During  1912,  over 
2,000  patients  were  treated  here  irrespective  of  nationality  or 
religious  denomination.    The  hospital  has  five  hundred  beds  which 


78 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


are  constantly  occupied  by  sufferers  in  all  stages  of  the  "Great 
White  Plague." 

Seton  Hospital  at  Spuyten  Duyvil  is  another  fine  institution 
where  tuberculous  patients  are  treated  irrespective  of  race  or 
creed.  Its  location  is  ideal.  Overlooking  the  Hudson  and  Harlem 
Rivers,  it  embraces  an  area  of  twenty-eight  acres.  The  hospital 
was  named  after  Mother  Elizabeth  Baily  Seton,  the  founder  of 
the  Sisters  of  Charity  in  the  United  States.  It  was  incorporated 
in  1892  and  opened  in  1895  by  Sister  Mary  Irene  of  the  Sisters  of 
Charity,  under  whose  management  it  is  conducted.  The  main 
building,  formerly  the  Whiting  mansion,  which  is  used  exclusively 
for  men,  accommodates  two  hundred  patients.  The  House  of 
Nazareth,  a  branch  of  this  hospital,  is  used  for  the  accommodation 
of  women  and  children,  and  has  a  capacity  of  two  hundred. 

St.  Francis  Hospital  occupies  the  entire  block  between  One 
Hundred  Forty-second  and  One  Hundred  Forty-third  Streets  and 
Brook  and  St.  Ann's  Avenues,  and  is  under  the  direct  charge  of 
the  Sisters  of  the  Poor  of  St.  Francis;  the  same  denomination  as 
that  having  charge  of  St.  Joseph's  Hospital.  It  is  one  of  the 
Borough's  largest  and  most  modern  charity  hospitals  and  treats 
diseases  of  all  kinds.  The  institution  has  over  four  hundred  beds 
at  the  disposal  of  patients  regardless  of  sect  or  nationality.  For 
the  treatment  of  non-paying  poor  it  is  reimbursed  by  the  City. 

Union  Hospital  is  located  in  the  old  Eden  mansion,  formerly 
occupied  by  Fordham  Hospital,  at  No.  2456  Valentine  Avenue, 
corner  of  One  Hundred  Eighty-eighth  Street.  It  is  a  general  hos- 
pital for  the  treatment  of  all  ailments  and  has  many  prominent 
physicians  connected  with  it.  It  is  maintained  entirely  by  volun- 
tary contributions  and  membership  in  the  Union  Hospital  Asso- 
ciation, and  receives  patients  of  all  creeds,  sects  or  nationalities. 
During  the  first  year  of  its  existence  over  five  hundred  surgical 
operations  were  performed  by  its  surgeons  including  the  most 
severe  and  difficult. 

Riverside  Hospital,  on  North  Brother  Island,  is  a  city  institu- 
tion for  the  isolation  of  contagious  and  infectious  diseases.  It  has 
accommodations  for  five  hundred  patients.  Its  ideal  location  on 
the  Sound  is  one  of  the  factors  that  help  to  effect  many  cures;  it 
is  under  the  charge  of  Bellevue  and  Allied  Hospitals. 

The  Home  for  Incurables,  on  Third  Avenue  between  One  Hun- 
dred Eighty-first  Street  and  One  Hundred  Eighty-fourth  Streets, 


EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS 


79 


is  one  of  the  oldest  institutions  in  The  Bronx.  It  originated  in 
1866  in  a  small  rented  house  in  West  Farms,  the  Old  Jacob  Lo- 
rillard  mansion ;  but  it  rapidly  outgrew  its  limited  accommodations. 
Thru  the  generosity  of  the  late  Catherine  Lorillard  Wolfe,  the 
spacious  grounds  upon  which  the  institution  now  stands  were 
deeded  to  the  Home  in  1873.  During  the  forty-six  years  of  its 
existence  3,261  patients  of  both  sexes  suffering  from  "incurable" 
diseases,  not  contagious  nor  infectious,  have  found  a  home  there. 
Of  this  number  two  per  cent  have  left  the  institution  cured,  while 
1,019  were  discharged  for  various  reasons.  There  are  at  present 
about  286  invalids  in  the  Home. 

At  its  new  quarters  No.  459  East  One  Hundred  Forty-first 
Street,  the  Bronx  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary  has  been  doing  excellent 
work  for  the  last  nine  years.  Persons  suffering  from  diseases  of 
the  eye,  ear,  nose  or  throat  who  are  unable  to  pay  for  professional 
services  are  accorded  free  treatment  at  the  infirmary.  They  have 
now  also  opened  a  dental  clinic. 

A  new  Bronx  Hospital  is  to  be  erected  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Kingsbridge  Road  and  Sedgwick  Avenue.  It  will  be  on  the  style 
of  Fordham  Hospital,  with  excellent  ambulance  service,  and  is  to 
be  directly  connected  with  Bellevue  and  the  allied  hospitals. 

In  addition  to  the  hospitals  already  mentioned,  there  are  many 
church  and  private  societies  who  supply  medicine  and  medical  as- 
sistance to  the  poor  and  needy. 

Among  the  benevolent  and  charitable  institutions,  the  New 
York  Catholic  Protectory,  situated  on  Walker  Avenue  and  the 
Unionport  Road  in  Westchester,  ranks  as  the  largest.  It  was 
founded  in  1863,  and  since  its  doors  opened  it  has  sheltered  and 
educated  approximately  50,000  wayward  and  destitute  juveniles. 
Like  all  truly  great  religious  and  benevolent  enterprises,  its  be- 
ginning was  small,  but  the  field  was  so  large  and  worthy  that  many 
prominent  men  were  influenced  to  aid  Archbishop  Hughes  and  the 
Brothers  of  the  Christian  Schools  in  this  great  charity  work.  The 
present  site  at  Westchester,  covering  an  area  of  114  acres,  was 
purchased  June  9th,  1865,  and  cost  $40,000. 

There  are  three  classes  admitted  to  this  institution — those 
under  fourteen  years  of  age,  who,  with  the  written  consent  of 
their  parents  or  guardians,  may  be  intrusted  to  it  for  protection  or 
reformation ;  those  between  seven  and  sixteen  years  of  age  com- 
mitted as  idle,  truant,  vicious  or  homeless  by  order  of  a  magistrate ; 


80 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


and  those  of  a  like  age  transferred  by  the  Department  of  Public 
Charities.  The  boys,  in  charge  of  the  Christian  Brothers  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  receive  a  general  school  education  and  are  taught 
trades,  such  as  printing,  electrotyping,  bookbinding,  shoe,  brush, 
harness,  and  paper  box  making,  baking,  farming,  tailoring,  chair 
caning,  brick  laying,  plumbing,  telegraphy,  blacksmithing,  wheel- 
wrighting,  carpentering,  painting,  drawing,  etc. 

The  girls,  under  the  tutelage  of  the  Society  of  St.  Vincent  de 
Paul,  also  receive  a  general  school  education  and  are  taught  ma- 
chine sewing,  typewriting,  cooking,  laundry  work,  telegraphy  and 
music.  The  famous  Protectory  Band  has  won  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion in  the  musical  world  and  is  a  great  credit  to  the  institution. 

The  Peabody  Home  for  Aged  and  Indigent  Women  at  Boston 
Road  and  One  Hundred  Seventy-ninth  Street  was  founded  in  1874, 
and  is  a  free  and  non-sectarian  institution  for  white  women  over 
sixty-five  years  of  age.  The  Home  is  supported  entirely  by  volun- 
tary subscriptions  and  accommodates  about  thirty-five. 

The  Home  for  the  Friendless  at  Jerome  and  Woodycrest  Ave- 
nues, opposite  Macomb's  Dam  Park,  was  opened  in  1902,  and 
aims  to  save  from  degradation,  friendless  and  neglected  children; 
boys  under  ten  and  girls  under  fourteen.  It  is  under  the  control 
of  the  American  Female  Guardian  Society.  After  being  legally 
surrendered  to  the  society,  they  are  transferred  by  adoption  to 
Christian  families  who,  upon  investigation,  can  give  satisfactory 
assurance  that  they  will  provide  good  homes  for  the  children. 

Other  philanthropic  institutions  are:  The  Roman  Catholic 
Orphan  Asylum  at  Fordham  Heights ;  The  Hebrew  Infant  Asylum ; 
St.  Philip's  Parish  House,  and  Webb's  Academy  and  Home  for 
Shipbuilders,  mentioned  elsewhere  in  another  connection. 

The  New  York  Public  Library  absorbed  in  1904  the  Bronx  Free 
Library  and  maintains  five  branches  in  beautiful  Carnegie  Build- 
ings, where  books  and  periodicals  are  loaned  to  young  and  old, 
and  where  reference  and  reading  rooms  accommodate  scholars  and 
students.  The  libraries  are  located  at  321  East  One  Hundred 
Fortieth  Street,  78  West  One  Hundred  Sixty-eighth  Street,  610  East 
One  Hundred  Sixty-ninth  Street,  1866  Washington  Avenue,  and 
3041  Kingsbridge  Avenue. 

It  is  a  natural  phase  of  human  existence  that  a  city's  cemeteries 
expand  in  numbers  and  dimensions  in  direct  ratio  to  the  city's 
increase  in  size  and  population. 


EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS 


81 


Foremost  in  The  Bronx  is  Woodlawn  Cemetery,  at  Woodlawn. 
It  was  incorporated  in  1863  and  covers  four  hundred  acres  of  ele- 
vated, sloping  lands  that  display  the  height  of  the  landscape 
gardener's  art  and  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  burying  grounds 
in  the  world.  It  is  situated  on  the  westerly  side  of  the  Bronx  River, 
and  extends  to  East  Two  Hundred  Twenty-third  Street. 

The  grounds  are  divided  by  countless  pathways,  walks  and 
avenues,  and  the  contrast  of  the  hundreds  of  marble  and  granite 
columns,  monuments  and  mausoleums  against  the  rich,  green 
lawns  affords  a  rare  picture.  Trees  of  great  age  and  splendor,  beds 
of  flowers  and  plants  and  the  green  beds  of  ivy  that  almost  hide 
many  of  the  grey-white  tombs  add  to  the  delicious  richness  of  the 
spot. 

Representatives  of  some  of  the  most  prominent  families  in 
New  York  have  tombs  there.  Most  notable  are:  The  Appletons, 
Goulds,  Vanderbilts,  Lorillards,  Choates,  Corbins,  Crosbys,  But- 
terfields,  Dillons,  Flaglers,  Havemeyers,  Sloans,  and  Whitneys.  The 
remains  of  Lieut.  De  Long,  and  Jospeh  Pulitzer  are  also  interred 
there.  Lieut.  De  Long's  body,  with  those  of  his  comrades,  were 
brought  from  the  Arctic  regions  and  interred  on  Chapel  Hill 
Avenue. 

One  of  the  most  imposing  of  the  monuments  in  the  cemetery 
is  that  of  our  first  admiral,  David  Glasgow  Farragut,  who  was 
buried  here  in  1870.  The  shaft  is  of  fine  white  marble  in  the 
shape  of  a  portion  of  a  ship's  mast,  at  the  foot  of  which  are 
nautical  paraphernalia,  a  sword  and  symbolic  shields.  The  inscrip- 
tion reads: 

Erected 
By  his  Wife  and  Son 
To  the  Memory  of 
DAVID   GLASGOW  FARRAGUT, 
First  Admiral  of  the  United  States  Navy 
Born  July  5,  1801, 
Died  August  14,  1870. 

Bensonia  Cemetery,  altho  now  a  neglected,  barren  tract  of 
land  known  on  the  City  Map  as  the  "Public  Place  at  Rae  Street," 
was  once  a  picturesque  burial  ground,  in  a  lovely  section  of  Mor- 
risania,  densely  shaded  by  elms,  poplar  and  evergreen  trees.  The 
land  was  purchased  in  1853  by  Robert  H.  Elton,  who  laid  out  what 


82 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


he  termed  the  "House  Territory  of  Bensonia."  About  three  years 
later  it  came  into  the  possession  of  James  L.  Parsball  who  enlarged 
its  boundaries  so  that  it  extended  from  Rae  Street  on  the  south  to 
Carr  Street  on  the  north. 

In  1868  the  trustees  of  Morrisania  forbade  further  inter- 
ments within  its  limits,  and  henceforth  the  cemetery  has  been  neg- 
lected. A  new  street,  St.  Ann's  Avenue,  was  laid  out  so  as  prac- 
tically to  cut  the  burial  ground  in  two,  and  the  bodies  thus  un- 
earthed were  removed  to  other  cemeteries. 

The  extreme  southeasterly  section  of  Bensonia  Cemetery  was 
bought  half  a  century  ago  by  the  Sons  of  Liberty,  and  here  rest 
over  150  of  its  members.  But  the  brave  soldiers  of  the  Civil  War 
who  were  buried  have  not  a  tablet  to  indicate  their  resting  places. 

In  his  police  history,  Inspector  Byrnes  states  that  the  ghouls 
who  robbed  the  grave  of  A.  T.  Stewart  temporarily  hid  his  remains 
in  this  sequestered  spot,  and  no  one  can  accurately  say  whether  his 
body  rests  under  his  costly  mausoleum  at  Garden  City. 

Efforts  have  been  made  to  have  the  City  convert  the  Bensonia 
Cemetery  into  a  public  park,  but  as  yet  without  success.  It  is 
hoped  that  in  the  near  future  the  tract  known  as  the  "Public 
Place  at  Rae  Street,"  will  be  transferred  into  a  beautiful  breathing 
place. 

St.  Raymond's  Cemetery  on  the  Fort  Schuyler  Road  in  West- 
chester is  used  exclusively  by  the  Roman  Catholics.  It  embraces 
eighty-six  acres  and  has  many  beautiful  and  imposing  monuments. 


CHAPTER  IX 


OAK  POINT 

The  "Cradle  of  Cuban  Liberty" — Wreck  of  the  British. Frigate  Hussar. 

]F  the  future  prosperity  of  Bronx  Park  depends 
upon  the  productive  and  commercial  activities  of 
its  people,  its  success  is  assured,  for  no  city  in  the 
world  has  such  natural  or  economic  advantages. 
What  has  been  done  in  the  way  of  improvements 
is  small  compared  to  what  is  projected  for  the  near  fu- 
ture. New  arteries  of  travel  are  to  connect  every  section  of  the 
Borough  with  Manhattan.  With  the  tri-borough  subway  under 
construction,  and  other  local  facilities  for  transportation  extended, 
an  efficient  municipal  and  borough  administration  to  push  the 
work  ahead,  The  Bronx  has  indeed  a  bright  and  glorious  future. 

So  fast  have  events  crowded  one  upon  another  since  the  days 
of  Jonas  Bronck,  that  the  Borough's  historic  surroundings  are 
rapidly  being  lost  sight  of. 

One  of  the  most  conspicuous  landmarks  that  was  swept  away 
by  the  1906  land  boom  was  the  Casanova  mansion,  known  as  the 
"Cradle  of  Cuban  Liberty."  For  years  this  famous  structure  had 
been  standing  a  quaint,  gray  spectre  at  Oak  Point,  neglected  and 
untenanted,  and  without  a  sign  of  life  about,  save  the  New  Haven 
and  Hartford  freight  station  a  quarter  of  a  mile  away. 

The  mansion  was  built  in  1859  by  Benjamin  M.  Whitlock,  a 
wealthy  grocer  of  New  York,  on  a  property  consisting  of  fifty 
acres.  The  building  cost  $350,000  when  completed,  and  was  the 
most  imposing  residence  above  the  Harlem  at  that  time.  It  is 
said  that  the  door  knobs  were  made  of  solid  gold.  As  a  carriage 
approached  the  gates  of  the  estate  the  horses  stepped  on  a  hidden 
spring  causing  the  gates  to  fly  open ;  and  the  house  had  secret 
underground  passages.  The  house  contained  one  hundred  rooms 
and  the  beauty  in  the  decoration  of  these  rooms  has  not  been  sur- 
passed to  this  day. 

83 


84 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


The  mansion  was  known  as  "Whitlock's  Folly,"  and  the  name 
clung  to  the  place  until  the  building  was  destroyed.  In  1867,  after 
the  death  of  Mr.  Whitlock,  his  widow  sold  the  house  to  Senor 
Yglesias  Casanova,  a  wealthy  Cuban  sugar  and  coffee  planter,  for 
$150,000.  Senor  Casanova  was  a  leader  of  a  band  of  Cuban  pa- 
triots, and  during  the  early  struggles  of  the  Cuban  people  for 
liberty,  this  place  was  the  rendezvous  of  Cuban  patriots  and  sym- 
pathizers.   It  is  said  that  the  cellars  and  subterranean  passages 


Casanova  Mansion 


were  stored  with  powder  and  rifles  which  eventually  found  their 
way  into  the  hands  of  the  patriots  in  Havana  and  other  Cuban 
cities.  An  underground  passage  had  been  made,  running  from 
the  house  to  the  Sound,  and  under  cover  of  darkness  boats,  which 
were  undoubtedly  filibusters,  were  occasionally  seen  to  steal  into 
the  little  cove  that  the  mansion  overlooked;  and,  after  being 
freighted  with  ammunition  and  other  implements  of  war,  to  creep 
out  again  as  mysteriously  as  they  had  entered. 

After  the  suppression  of  the  first  Cuban  revolution,  Casanova, 
whose  loyalty  to  his  country  never  waned,  became  down-hearted, 
and  the  mansion  that  for  many  years  had  been  the  scene  of  revelry 


OAK  POINT 


85 


and  likewise  of  social  functions,  ceased  to  be  occupied.  Mr.  Casa- 
nova moved  to  New  Orleans,  and  the  house  began  to  fall  into 
decay  for  want  of  care  and  attention. 

When  the  war  was  declared  between  this  country  and  Spain, 
Mr.  Cosanova  was  an  aged  man.  It  is  said  that  he  returned  to 
Spain  where  he  died. 

Just  prior  to  the  demolition  of  the  building,  the  author  had 
occasion  to  visit  it.  The  once  magnificent  old  structure  appeared 
in  a  pitifully  dilapidated  state.  The  grounds  surrounding  it  were 
overrun  with  rank  weeds  and  other  unsightly  growth.  The  mas- 
sive bronze  doors,  with  their  Spanish  coat-of-arms,  turned  heavily 
upon  their  squeaky  hinges,  as  if  reluctant  to  admit  the  feet  of 
common  mortals. 

As  one  entered  the  dimly  lighted  hall,  he  seemed  to  be  stepping 
into  the  shadows  of  former  ages,  for  everything  looked  so  sombre 
and  sepulchral.  An  unnatural  hollow  sound  echoed  and  reverber- 
ated thru  the  spacious  hall  as  one's  footsteps  fell  upon  the  marble 
floor. 

A  hasty  glance  thru  the  rooms  left  one  amazed  at  the 
elaborate  beauty  of  the  architecture.  The  decorations  of  each 
apartment  were  different,  there  being  no  two  rooms  alike.  Some 
had  panelled  ceilings  and  walls,  others  were  richly  decorated  in 
fleur-de-lis  and  other  floral  designs,  with  heavy  carved  woodwork 
of  cherry  and  oak.  So  artistically  and  sumptuously  were  they 
fashioned  that  one  was  fascinated  with  their  grandeur. 

There  were  numerous  stairways  leading  to  the  cellar,  some  of 
which  were  rather  risky  to  descend,  as  they  were  narrow  and 
dark.  The  cellar  was  strewn  with  old  rubbish,  and  on  the  south 
side  of  the  building  there  was  a  large  kitchen.  A  rusty  iron  oven, 
a  three-legged  stool  and  an  old  wooden  table  upon  which  stood 
several  broken  dishes,  were  the  only  furnishings  of  the  room.  The 
place  was  musty  and  malodorous  and  shrouded  in  darkness.  With 
the  aid  of  a  lantern  the  old  tunnel  was  located.  It  was  choked  up 
with  dirt  and  rubbish,  but  there  was  enough  of  it  exposed  to  give 
a  fair  conception  of  what  it  had  once  been.  On  either  side  of  the 
tunnel  were  half  a  dozen  cells  built  of  solid  rock  with  heavy  iron 
hinges  riveted  to  both  the  floors  and  walls.  To  what  use  they 
could  have  been  put  can  only  be  surmised.  Could  they  speak  what 
tales  they  might  have  unfolded! 

Off  Port  Morris  is  the  deepest  water  in  the  vicinity  of  Ne~: 


86 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


York.  The  Great  Eastern  made  her  first  anchorage  here  on  her 
maiden  trip  to  New  York,  having  come  in  by  way  of  the  Sound. 

Close  by  is  Pot  Rock  where  the  British  frigate-of-war  Hussar 
sank  with  one  hundred  and  seven  men  on  board.  The  vessel 
reached  New  York  from  England  on  September  13,  1780,  carrying 


Subterranean  Passage  and  Cells 


American  prisoners  and  laden  with  a  mass  of  gold,  silver  and  cop- 
per coin  with  which  to  pay  off  the  British  forces  in  the  Colonies. 
Rumors  having  reached  the  English  Admiralty  that  New  York  City 
was  about  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Americans,  the  Hussar  was 
given  orders  to  sail  up  the  Sound  to  Newport.  But  it  struck  in 
the  vicinity  of  North  Brother  Island  and  Port  Morris  on  the  23rd 
of  November,  1780. 

It  was  said  that  she  carried  to  the  bottom  with  her  not  only 


OAK  POINT 


87 


her  own  treasure  but  also  three  hundred  and  eighty  thousand 
pounds  which  had  been  transferred  from  the  Mercury;  another 
British  vessel.  Numerous  futile  attempts  have  been  made  since 
1818  to  recover  the  treasure,  and  over  a  quarter  of  a  million  dollars 
have  been  sunk  in  the  endeavors.  In  1819  her  guns  and  upper 
sheathing  were  brought  to  light.  One  treasure-seeker  unearthed 
from  the  wreck  fifteen  guineas,  a  number  of  relics,  including  some 
beer  mugs,  inscribed  "George  III.  Rex."  and  a  cannon  now  in  the 
museum  of  Worcester,  Mass.   Copper  rivets  of  the  prisoners'  mana- 


Leggett's  Lane 


cles,  projectiles,  and  parts  of  the  ship's  woodwork  have  also  been 
found. 

Finally  Secretary  Gresham  of  the  New  York  State  Depart- 
ment exploded  the  myth  of  the  lost  treasure.  He  examined  closely 
the  report  of  the  Admiralty  Office  and  the  logs  of  the  Hussar  and 
the  Mercury,  but  found  no  mention  of  any  treasure.  A  report  of 
Fletcher  Betts,  an  officer  of  the  Hussar,  was  discovered  which 
stated  that  there  had  been  twenty  thousand  pounds  in  gold  on 
the  Hussar,  but  that  two  days  before  the  disaster  the  money  had 
been  delivered  to  the  Commissary  General  at  New  York;  Betts 
himself  having  assisted  in  the  transfer. 

Near  the  Longwood  Club  House  at  Southern  Boulevard  and 


88 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Leggett  Avenue,  formerly  Leggett's  Lane,  is  the  site  of  a  Revolu- 
tionary cave.  There  was  a  skirmish  close  by  between  the  British 
and  the  Americans,  and  the  patriots  were  forced  to  flee.  They  car- 
ried their  dead  along  with  them,  and  when  they  reached  this  cave 
they  hastily  concealed  the  corpses  of  their  comrades. 


One  of  the  SHOW  PLACES  of  Itie  Bronx 


HUNT'S  POfNT  PLAZA  COMMUNITY  BUILDING 

163d  STREET  AND  SOUTHERN  BOULEVARD 

JAMES  F.  MEEHAN,  Architect,  Builder  and  Owner 

This  magnificent  structure,  designed  and  erected  by  its  owner,  James  F.  Meehan- 
the  prominent  architect,  is  indeed  a  "community"  of  itself.    It  contains: 

Many  Showy  Shops,  connected  by  brilliantly  lighted  and  artistic- 
ally decorated  arcades  where  the  wares  of  leading  merchants  are  displayed; 

Palm  Garden  with  domed  ceiling  and  many  white  be-decked  tables 
almost  hidden  by  tropical  verdure,  and  where  a  string  orchestra  adds  to 
the  delight  of  the  diners; 

The  Beautiful  Theatre,  in  which  2000  persons  can  be  seated; 

The  Roof  Garden,  high  above  the  hot  streets,  where  gentle  breezes 
cool  and  refresh  one  and  add  so  materially  to  the  comfort  of  the  patrons; 

The  Ball  Room,  finished  in  white  and  gold,  with  balcony  and  loges, 
with  neither  pillar  nor  column  to  obstruct  the  view; 

The  Banquet  Hall,  especially  equipped  for  dinner-dances,  the  Bil- 
liard Rooms,  Cafes,  Private  Banquet  Rooms,  Club  and  Lodge  Rooms  and 
office  accommodations  for  various  professional  men  and  women. 

One  of  the  important  features  of  the  building  is  its  accessibility 

The  Hunts  Point  Plaza  is  destined  to  become  one  of  the  greatest  shop- 
ping, social  and  theatre  centers  of  New  York  City,  being  at  the  junction 
of  three  very  important  arteries  of  transit,  163rd  Street,  Southern  Boule- 
vard and  Hunts  Point  Avenue.  Each  of  these  thoroughfares  is  100  feet  wide. 
The  handsome  new  station  of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hartford 
Railroad  recently  completed,  which  will  be  also  used  by  the  New  York, 
Boston  and  Westchester  Railroad  at  this  point,  is  one  short  block  distant, 
while  the  Hunts  Point  Station  will  be  an  express  stop  of  the  new  Lexing- 
ton Avenue  subway. 


2964 

TELEPHONES  TREMONT 
2965 


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HARRY  L.  HILL,  Manager 


PAINT  SHOP 
MACHINE  SHOP 


REPAIRING 


SUPPLIES 
ACCESSORIES 


1323  BOSTON  ROAD 


NEAR  McKINLEY  SQUARE 


NEW  YORK 


Tel.  2246-3001  Tremont 


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EAL  ESTATE 


PATTON 

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McKINLEY  BLDG.,  on  1 69th  St. 
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MEEHAN  BLDG.,  961  So.  Boulevard 


Known  and  Recognized  for  Thorough  Work. 
Finest  School  Rooms  in  the  City. 
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Telephone  Tremont  5175 


CHAPTER  X 


HUNT'S  POINT 

Colonial  and  Revolutionary  Days — The  Story  of  Joseph  Rodman  Drake — A 
Visit  to  "God's  Little  Acre." 

^t^Tv*       1  ,v  nne  liu>  °'c'  'alu'mar'<s  oJ  The  Bronx  are  disiap- 
( C)»\\$   pearing.    The  lew  thai  have  been  preserved  are  worth 
1  xsfefPWi   more  than  a  casual  inspection.    There  are  few  places 
j^rtf^l  in  the  Borough  about  which  cluster  so  many  interest- 
ing and  historical  reminiscences  of  the  Colonial  and 
Revolutionary  periods  as  the  Hunt's  Point  section.    A  few  years 
ago,  there  were  many  of  these  early  landmarks  standing,  but  th« 
region  is  changing  rapidly ;  the  old  sites  giving  way  to  bright,  new 
bricks  and  mortar. 

On  April  25,  1666,  Edward  Jessup  and  John  Richardson  ob- 
tained from  Governor  Nicolls  a  patent  for  certain  lands,  now 
known  as  the  West  Farms  Patent;  they  having  previously,  on 
March  12,  1663,  purchased  the  Indian  rights.  These  lands  lay 
along  the  west  bank  of  the  Bronx  River,  bounding  "to  the  midst  of 
the  said  river"  running  from  the  Fordham  line  south  to  the  Sea 
or  East  River,  and  westerly  to  a  little  brook  called  Sackiurahiing, 
or  Bungay  Creek,  which  ran  along  about  where  Intervale  Avenue 
is  now  located. 

On  obtaining  possession  of  this  patented  land,  Jessup  and 
Richardson  set  aside  two  home  plots,  each  consisting  of  thirty 
acres  of  upland  and  eight  acres  of  meadow.  These  were  located 
on  the  old  Hunt's  Point  Road  just  south  of  the  present  Lafayette 
Avenue.  The  Dickey  and  Spofford  properties  on  the  east  of  the 
old  road,  include  within  their  bounds  Richardson's  thirty  acres 
and  most  of  the  two  meadow  parcels.  This  home-lot  vested,  in 
1679,  in  Gabriel  Leggett,  thru  his  wife  Elizabeth,  a  daughter 
of  Richardson,  and  remained  in  a  branch  of  the  Leggett  family 
down  to  1836.    It  was  known  as  Barretto's  Point. 

Historians  give  but  meagre  information  regarding  John  Rich- 
ardson, but  speak  of  Edward  Jessup  as  a  most  remarkable  man, 

89 


90 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


not  because  he  was  a  magistrate  and  a  large  land  owner,  or  be- 
cause he  sprang  from  an  ancient  and  illustrious  English  family; 
but,  because  he  was  a  brave,  daring,  upright  man,  full  of  restless 
energy,  and  the  recognized  champion  of  the  colonists.  Among 
his  neighbors,  he  was  popularly  known  as  Goodman  Jessup,  and 
in  1665,  he  was  one  of  Westchester's  two  delegates  sent  to  the 
Convention  of  Towns  held  in  Hempstead,  Long  Island — the  first 
representative  and  deliberative  body  that  assembled  in  the  Colony. 

In  that  convention  Jessup  boldly  advocated  the  right  of  the 
people  to  elect  their  own  magistrates,  instead  of  having  those 
officers  selected  and  appointed  by  the  King. 

This  convention  is  referred  to  by  historians  as  the  precursor 
of  the  elective  judiciary  system  of  our  State — a  system  which  has 
been  aptly  described  as  "the  growth  of  the  soil." 

Edward  Jessup  was  the  progenitor  of  a  family  who  became 
distinguished  in  the  annals  of  our  country,  and  among  whom  was 
Major  General  Thomas  Sidney  Jessup,  a  hero  of  the  War  of  1812, 
and  of  the  Mexican  War,  and  who  was  prominently  mentioned  as 
a  Democratic  candidate  for  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States. 

Edward  Jessup,  on  his  death  in  1666,  devised  his  interest  in 
the  patent  to  Elizabeth  Jessup,  his  widow.  She  married  one 
Robert  Meacham  in  1668,  and  they  in  the  same  year  conveyed  the 
Jessup  interest  in  the  patent  to  her  son-in-law,  Thomas  Hunt,  Jr., 
who  married  Elizabeth  Jessup,  the  daughter  of  Edward  Jessup. 
It  was  after  this  Thomas  Hunt,  the  son  of  Thomas  Hunt  of  the 
Grove  Farm  Patent,  that  Hunt's  Point  received  its  name. 

In  1669  Hunt  sold  his  home  lot  on  which  he  then  resided, 
and  built  on  a  parcel  of  land  at  the  north  end  of  what  is  now 
Barretto's  Point,  near  the  old  Landing  Road.  Around  this  section 
we  find  the  early  houses  were  erected. 

Later,  Richardson  or  Leggett,  Richardson's  son-in-law,  erected 
a  house  west  of  the  old  Hunt's  Point  Road,  south  of  the  present 
Spofford  Avenue,  and  near  Bound  Brook,  on  the  land  which  also 
was  acquired  by  the  Leggett  branch,  and  in  which  Gabriel  Leggett, 
the  second,  lived,  dying  there  about  1786.  This  property  also 
remained  in  the  possession  of  the  Leggett  family  down  to  1850. 

Richardson  and  Hunt  entered  upon  and  cultivated  parts  of 
the  present  Hunt's  Point.  Richardson  used  a  parcel  of  about 
twenty  acres  of  upland  at  its  southerly  end  along  the  Sound, 
probably  as  a  cornfield,  and  both  cut  the  meadows  on  the  east  side 


HUNT'S  POINT 


91 


of  the  Point;  Richardson  cutting  the  upper,  and  Hunt  the  lower 
end. 

It  would  appear  that  disputes  soon  arose  between  them  as  to 
their  occupations  of  the  Point,  and  to  settle  the  same  they  ap- 
pointed four  commissioners  in  1669  to  adjust  the  differences  and 
make  a  division  of  the  lower  end  of  the  patented  lands.  This  the 
commissioners  did,  awarding  Richardson  the  twenty  acres  so  oc- 
cupied by  him,  and  sixteen  acres  of  meadow,  cut  by  him  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  Hunt's  Point,  and  Barretto's  Point  on  the 
west,  which  last  mentioned  point  they  called  in  -their  report  the 
"Long  Neck";  while  they  awarded  to  Hunt  all  the  rest  of  Hunt's 
Point,  which  they  called  the  "Cornfield  Neck,"  and  certain 
meadows  at  its  upper  end. 

The  old  Hunt's  Point  Road,  which  ran  thru  the  middle 
of  the  patent  down  and  into  the  Point  was  no  doubt  opened  first 
at  its  lower  end  and  used  by  Hunt  and  Richardson,  while  the  old 
Landing  Road  which  branched  from  it  and  ran  into  the  Barretto's 
Point,  or  "Long  Neck"  lands,  traces  of  which  are  still  visible  at 
its  junction  with  the  Hunt's  Point  Road,  was  opened  prior  to  1700. 

About  1700  Thomas  Hunt's  eldest  son,  Thomas,  acquired  the 
Richardson  twenty  acres  at  the  south  end,  and  his  father's  interest 
in  the  rest  of  the  Point,  which  was  then  and  for  many  years 
thereafter  called  the  "Planting  Neck."  The  Indian  name  was 
Quinnahung.  This  property  remained  in  this  branch  of  the  Hunt 
family  down  to  the  middle  of  the  last  century. 

While  mentioning  the  names  of  "Cornfield  Neck"  and  "Plant- 
ing Neck,"  we  might  incidentially  call  attention,  as  a  matter  of 
historical  information,  to  names  given  other  parts  of  the  Point; 
for  instance,  the  "Little  Neck"  which  lay  along  the  old  Hunt's 
Point  Road,  at  the  upper  end  of  the  Point  east  of  the  Barretto 
Homestead.  On  this  road  at  the  upper  end  of  the  Little  Neck, 
about  250  feet  north  of  the  Eastern  Boulevard,  was  the  old  gate  or 
entrance  to  the  Hunt  property  on  Hunt's  Point.  Alongside  of  the 
old  road,  and  just  west  of  the  angle  where  it  turns  toward  the  Hunt 
and  Leggett  cemetery,  is  an  old  well  nearly  filled  in,  which  was 
probably  the  old  well  known  as  "Richardson's  well,"  while  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Point,  near  the  easterly  end  of  the  Eastern  Boule- 
vard, is  a  district,  known  for  200  years  as  the  "Fox  Hills,"  which 
probably  derived  its  name  from  the  fact  that  it  was  at  one  time 
a  fox  haunt. 


92 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


In  1680  Hunt  and  Richardson  arranged  for  a  division  of  the 
upper  end  of  the  patent  into  twelve  great  lots,  but  before  the  divi- 
sion was  completed  Richardson  died.  In  1681  Hunt  and  Richard- 
son's widow,  who  acted  on  behalf  of  Richardson's  heirs,  completed 
the  division  by  drawing  lots,  each  taking  six  lots.  Hunt  divided 
his  six,  except  one  which  he  sold,  among  his  sons  and  grandson. 
The  tract  was  therefore  called  the  "Twelve  Farms"  as  well  as 
West  Farms. 

Edward  Jessup  had  three  children :  Elizabeth,  who  married 
Thomas  Hunt,  the  second,  about  1662 ;  Hannah  and  Edward,  the 
latter  two  probably  by  a  second  wife.  There  is  much  confusion 
in  the  old  records  with  reference  to  Elizabeth  Jessup,  wife  of  Ed- 
ward Jessup,  and  Elizabeth  Jessup,  daughter  of  Edward  Jessup. 
There  is  a  deed  extant,  dated  June  20th,  1668,  recording  the  pur- 
chase by  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Hunt  from  "Robert  Beachem  and 
Elizabeth,  formerly  the  wife  of  Edward  Jessup." 

John  Richardson  also  had  three  children :  Berthia,  who  mar- 
ried John  Ketcham ;  Mary,  who  became  the  wife  of  Joseph  Hadley ; 
and  Elizabeth,  who  was  espoused  to  Gabriel  Leggett. 

Thomas  and  Elizabeth  Hunt  are  the  progenitors  of  a  large 
family  scattered  all  over  the  United  States.  Gabriel  and  Elizabeth 
Leggett  are  the  ancestors  of  the  Leggett,  Fox  and  Tiffany  families 
of  West  Farms. 

Mrs.  Richardson  afterwards,  in  or  about  July,  1683,  married 
Captain  Thomas  Williams,  and  on  her  death  the  Richardson  inter- 
est, consisting  of  the  Legget,  Hadley  and  Ketcham  families,  in 
1695,  divided  their  interests  in  the  patent  among  themselves. 

At  the  southern  end  of  Hunt's  Point,  the  old  "Grange"  was 
erected,  which  still  stands  as  a  mute  memorial  of  those  Colonial 
days.  This  famous  old  structure,  which  has  withstood  the  storms 
of  over  two  centuries,  and  in  which  generations  have  lived  and 
died,  is  fast  falling  into  decay  for  want  of  repairs  and  attention. 
For  years  this  picturesque  relic  of  bygone  days  has  been  the  chief 
attraction  at  Hunt's  Point,  but  its  inevitable  downfall,  when  some 
factory  or  dwelling  will  later  take  its  place,  is  but  a  few  years 
distant. 

There  is  much  romance  woven  about  this  quaint  building. 
During  the  struggle  for  independence,  it  was  occupied  by  Thomas 
Hunt,  the  fourth,  the  grandfather  of  Montgomery  Hunt,  a  noted 
financier,  and  a  Presidential  Elector  in  1816,  who  voted  for  James 


HUNT'S  POINT 


93 


Monroe  for  President,  and  who  was  the  father  of  that  eminent 
jurist,  Judge  Ward  Hunt  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  of  the  State 
and  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States. 

Thomas  Hunt,  the  fourth,  was  a  patriot  and  a  staunch  ad- 
herent of  the  principles  which  his  great-grandfather  had  embodied 
in  the  Charter  of  Liberties  in  1683.  He  was  prominent  in  all 
affairs  pertaining  to  the  separation  of  the  Colonies  from  the  Mother 
Country.  He  was  an  influential  member  of  the  Committee  of 
Safety,  and  was  instrumental  in  organizing  the  West  Farms  and 
Fordham  Company  of  Minute  Men,  in  which  no  less  than  seven 


Hunt's  Mansion 


members  of  his  own  family  enlisted.  During  the  Revolution  he 
espoused  the  American  cause.  He  was  the  friend  and  confidant 
of  Washington,  who  relied  implicitly  upon  his  calm  judgment,  his 
patriotic  courage,  and  his  thoro  knowledge  of  the  country. 

The  British  frigate  Asia  was  kept  at  anchor  in  the  Sound  near 
his  home.  His  estate  was  devastated  and  his  family  driven  from 
their  home.  One  of  the  cannon  balls,  which  was  embedded  in  the 
west  brick  wall,  where  it  lodged  until  a  few  years  ago,  is  now  in 
the  writer's  possession. 

There  appears  to  be  much  doubt  among  historians  as  to  the 


it  4 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


exact  age  of  the  old  mansion.  One  historian  gives  the  date  of  its 
erection  as  1688,  while  others  give  much  later  years. 

Thomas  Hunt,  Sr.,  on  conveying  the  "Planting  Neck"  prop- 
erty to  his  son  Thomas  in  1698,  and  again  executing  a  deed  in 
1718 — shortly  after  which  he  died — mentions  his  new  dwelling 
and  orchard  containing  three  acres. 

Traditions  are  numerous  regarding  the  building  of  the  old 
mansion.  It  is  said  that  when  Hunt  first  began  to  erect  the  build- 
ing, lumber  commanded  a  very  high  price,  as  a  result  of  a  heavy 
tax  which  had  been  levied  upon  building  material,  and  he  decided 
to  construct  his  of  stone,  of  which  there  was  an  abundance  in 


Relics  Found  in  Hunt's  Mansion 


the  neighborhood.  Hardly  had  he  put  up  the  west  wall,  however, 
when  the  tax  was  removed  and  he  completed  the  building  with 
lumber.  The  girders  and  rafters  used  in  its  construction  were 
hewn  from  solid  oak,  while  the  laths  used  in  the  interior  walls, 
rough  and  irregular,  were  made  of  strips  of  ash.  The  chimneys 
were  built  of  the  bricks  brought  over  as  ballast  by  the  Dutch 
traders.  The  ceilings  are  low,  and  the  closets  with  which  each 
room  is  supplied  open  in  two  parts.  The  open  fireplace  in  the 
living  room,  without  which  no  old  mansion  was  perfect,  is 
crumbling  away  with  age  and  is  no  longer  used.  Across  the  hall- 
way is  the  kitchen.  The  last  occupant  replaced  the  Dutch  oven 
by  a  modern  stove. 


HUNT'S  POINT  95 

The  upper  chambers  are  reached  by  a  narrow  but  substantial 
stairway.  The  tower,  which  gives  the  house  the  appearance  of  a 
fort,  is  reached  by  a  spiral  stairway  from  the  living  room.  It  is 
so  narrow  that  only  one  person  at  a  time  can  ascend  it.  This  was 
apparently  so  constructed  as  a  safeguard  in  emergency,  should 
admittance  be  gained  within  the  house  by  the  wily  Indians  who 
frequently  made  attacks  upon  it. 

For  many  years  the  "Grange"  was  the  residence  of  Joseph 
Rodman  Drake,  the  poet  who  won  immortal  fame  as  the  author  of 
"The  American  Flag"  and  "Culprit  Fay."  It '  was  this  gifted 
young  poet  who  celebrated  the  rural  beauties  of  The  Bronx  in  some 
of  his  most  charming  verse: 


The  Bronx 


I  sat  me  down  upon  a  green  bank  side, 

Skirting  the  smooth  edge  of  a  gentle  river, 
Whose  waters  seemed  unwilling  to  glide, 

Like  parting  friends,  who  linger  while  they  sever; 
Enforced  to  go,  yet  seeming  still  unready, 
Backward  they  wind  their  way  in  many  a  wistful  eddy. 


Gray  o'er  my  head  the  yellow-vested  willow 

Ruffled  its  hoary  top  in  the  fresh  breezes, 
Glancing  in  light,  like  spray  on  a  green  billow, 

Or  the  fine  frost  work  which  young  winter  freezes, 
When  first  his  power  in  infant  pastime  trying, 
Congeals  sad  autumn's  tears  on  the  dead  branches  lying. 

From  rocks  around  hung  the  loose  ivy  dangling, 
And  in  the  clefts  sumach  of  liveliest  green, 

Bright  rising-stars  the  little  beach  was  spangling, 
The  gold-cap  sorrel  from  his  gauzy  screen, 
Shone  like  a  fairy,  enchased  and  beaded, 

Left  on  some  morn,  when  light  fiash'd  in  their  eyes  unheeded. 


The  hum-bird  shook  his  sun-touched  wings  around, 

The  blue-finch  carolled  in  the  still  retreat; 
The  antic  squirrel  capered  on  the  ground, 
Where  lichens  made  a  carpet  for  his  feet. 
Thro'  the  transparent  waves,  the  ruddy  minkle 
Shot  up  in  glimmering  sparks,  his  red  fins  tiny  twinkle. 


96 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


There  were  the  dark  cedars,  with  loose  mossy  tresses, 

White-powder'd  dog  trees,  and  stiff  hollies  flaunting, 
Gaudy  as  rustics  in  their  May-day  dresses, 
Blue  pellorets  from  purple  leaves  upslanting 
A  modest  gaze,  like  eyes  of  a  young  maiden 
Shining  beneath  dropp'd  lids  the  evening  of  her  wedding. 

The  breeze  fresh  springing  from  the  lips  of  morn, 

Kissing  the  leaves,  and  sighing  so  to  lose  'em, 
The  winding  of  the  merry  locust's  horn, 

The  glad  sighs  spring  gushing  from  the  rock's  bare  bosom, 
Sweet  sighs,  sweet  sounds,  all  sights,  all  sounds  excelling; 
Oh !  'twas  a  ravishing  spot,  f orm'd  for  a  poet's  dwelling. 

And  I  did  leave  thy  loveliness,  to  stand 

Again  in  the  dull  world  of  earthly  blindness, 
Pain'd  with  the  pressure  of  unfriendly  hands, 
Sick  of  smooth  looks,  agued  with  icy  kindness; 
Left  I  for  this  thy  shades,  where  none  intrude, 
To  prison  wandering  thought  and  mar  sweet  solitude. 

Yet  I  will  look  upon  thy  face  again 

My  own  romantic  Bronx,  and  it  will  be 
A  face  more  pleasant  than  the  face  of  men. 
Thy  waves  are  old  companions,  I  shall  see 
A  well-remembered  form  in  each  old  tree, 
And  hear  a  voice  long  loved  in  thy  wild  minstrelsy. 

Joseph  Rodman  Drake  was  born  in  New  York  City  on  August 
7,  1795,  and  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  the  Colonial  Drakes,  set- 
tlers of  Eastchester.  Left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age,  he  was  placed 
under  the  care  of  a  guardian.  As  a  boy  he  was  fond  of  rowing 
his  boat  among  the  inlets  of  the  upper  East  River  where  he  could 
steal  off  by  himself  unmolested  and  spend  the  long  summer  after- 
noons in  the  shade  of  some  willow  tree  along  the  river  bank. 

The  happiest  hours  of  his  boyhood  days  he  passed  in  the 
environs  of  Hunt's  Point  which  gave  inspiration  to  his  verses.  It 
was  while  he  lived  in  the  old  "Grange"  that  he  became  acquainted 
with  the  daughter  of  Henry  Eckford,  the  well-known  shipbuilder. 
He  commenced  the  study  of  medicine  under  Dr.  Nicholas  Romayne 
in  1813,  received  his  degree  in  1816,  and  in  the  same  year  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Eckford.  After  a  visit  to  Europe  and  to  New  Orleans 
in  a  vain  effort  to  restore  his  failing  health,  Drake  died  of  con- 


HUNT'S  POINT 


sumption,  September  21,  1820.  at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  before 
his  art  as  a  poet  had  fully  matured. 

"There  will  be  less  sunshine  for  me  hereafter,"  said  Halleck, 
"now  that  Joe  is  gone." 

The  association  of  Halleck  and  Drake  in  the  most  intimate 
of  friendships  is  the  pleasantest  incident  in  the  history  of  Ameri- 
can letters.  The  two  poets  charmed  the  town,  in  1819,  with  a 
series  of  humorous  satirical  verses  which  they  contributed  to  the 
New  York  Evening  Post  under  the  signature  of  "Croaker  &  Co." 

Judged  by  what  he  had  begun  to  do,  this  young  poet  was  cut 
down  at  the  opening  of  a  promising  career.  Had  the  author  of 
"The  Culprit  Fay,"  "American  Flag,"  and  "The  Bronx"  lived  to 
a  mature  age,  the  prose  fancies  of  Irving  might  have  found  a 
counterpart  in  the  verse  of  Drake,  inspired  by  the  enchanted  ground 
along  the  banks  of  the  Hudson. 

In  memory  of  the  intimate  friendship  that  existed  between 
them,  Fitz-Greene  Halleck  wrote,  at  the  death  of  Drake,  a  touching 
tribute  beginning  with  these  exquisite  lines: 

Green  be  the  turf  above  thee, 

Friend  of  my  better  days; 
None  knew  thee  but  to  love  thee, 

Nor  named  thee  but  to  praise. 

The  author  shall  never  forget  his  first  visit  to  Hunt's  Point 
some  ten  years  ago  and  with  what  frequency  he  visited  it  there- 
after. He  had  seen  rural  country — much  of  it — but  nothing  has 
ever  taken  so  firm  a  hold  upon  his  imagination  as  that  piece  of 
ground.  He  never  could  fathom  why  it  appealed  to  him  so  strongly, 
perhaps  it  was  the  quaint  old  mansions  and  shady  lanes  that  lured 
him  to  these  scenes;  but  whatever  the  cause  the  spot  had  cast  a 
bewitching  spell  upon  him  and  he  passed  many  a  pleasant  idle 
hour  there. 

During  his  rambles  thru  this  isolated  region  he  collected 
from  old  residents  many  an  interesting  tale  of  its  early  history, 
for  few  regions  have  been  more  kindly  disposed  than  this  to  the 
preservation  of  their  traditions. 

One  of  the  first  points  of  interest  the  author  was  shown  was 


98 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


the  quaint  little  Hunt  burying  ground  *  in  which  early  settlers 
were  interred  and  which  is  the  last  resting  place  of  Joseph  Rod- 
man Drake. 

Until  Park  Commissioner  Higgins  sent  a  force  of  men  there 
in  the  summer  of  1910  to  clear  away  the  over-grown  weeds  and 
brambles  and  to  cement  the  broken  pieces  of  headstones  together, 
the  repose  of  the  little  cemetery  was  rarely  disturbed,  and  all  sum- 
mer long  the  birds  and  insects  raised  an  unceasing  song  around  the 
weed-grown  graves  of  the  forgotten  dead;  the  winter  spread  a 


Hunt's  Point  Cemetery  in  1900 


blanket  of  white  snow  over  it  which  remained  until  spring  came 
slowly  and  reluctantly  to  this  upland  resting  place. 

And  so  the  seasons  came  and  passed,  leaving  the  finger  marks 
of  time  and  ruin.  Yet  on  a  summer's  day  the  little  knoll  with  its 
crumbling,  weather-beaten  old  tombstones  is  really  a  delightful 
spot,  and  from  its  summit  one  can  obtain  an  excellent  panoramic 
view  of  the  surrounding  country. 

*  The  little  "God's  Acre''  is  less  than  half  an  acre  in  area  and  is  located 
on  the  summit  of  a  wooded  knoll  a  short  distance  from  the  Hunt's  Point 
Station  on  the  New  Rochelle  branch  of  the  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford 
Railroad  running  from  Mott  Haven  to  New  Rochelle. 


« 


HUNT'S  POINT 


99 


Before  you  are  the  placid,  rippling,  flashing  waters  of  the 
Sound  dotted  here  and  there  by  the  white  sails  of  pleasure  craft; 
while  in  the  distance  rise  the  dim  bluish  outlines  of  Long  Island. 
Toward  the  west  lies  the  Metropolitan  City  of  Greater  New  York 
in  all  its  majestic  splendor.  Silhouetted  against  the  sky  are  the 
outlines  of  the  Cathedral  of  St.  John  the  Divine,  St.  Luke's  Hos- 
pital, Columbia  Library,  and  Grant's  Tomb  as  well  as  the  College 
of  the  City  of  New  York  and  Columbia  University  with  their  many 
outlying  buildings.  The  populous  Bronx  stretches  northward,  and 


Grave  of  Joseph  Rodman  Drake 


the  green  rolling  slopes  of  Westchester  extend  toward  the  east.  The 
evidences  of  vigorous  life  and  progress  viewed  from  this  little 
resting  place  of  those  so  long  dead  bring  strongly  to  mind  the 
achievements  of  our  own  era. 

But  when  the  wintry  clouds  scurry  over  the  hill,  and  the  rain 
beats  down  the  withered  weeds  and  dark  graves,  the  burying 
ground  seems  weird  and  desolate.  Years  of  wind  and  weather 
show  plainly  their  imprints  on  the  fifty  or  more  tombstones  scat- 
tered about,  some  of  which,  overspread  with  a  coat  of  green  moss, 
and  sunken  deep  into  the  sod,  date  back  nearly  two  and  a  half 
centuries. 


100 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Some  of  these  grave  stones  may  have  been  new  and  un- 
tarnished when  Washington's  Continentals  in  their  retreat  from 
Long  Island,  trudged  along  the  old  Colonial  road  which  winds 
around  the  little  hillock,  and  when  Lafayette  revisited  this  country 
in  1824.  The  noted  French  General,  after  crossing  the  famous 
"Kissing  Bridge"  which  stood  to  the  right  of  Southern  Boulevard 
and  Lafayette  Lane,  "paused  in  silent  meditation  at  the  grave 
of  Joseph  Rodman  Drake,"  and  then  passed  thru  the  narrow 
lane  which  was  afterwards  widened  and  named  "Lafayette  Avenue" 
in  his  honor. 

Surrounding  one  plot  in  the  old  cemetery  was  attached  a  rusty 
iron  chain.  It  has  long  mouldered  away  from  all  but  one  of  its 
fastenings  to  which  it  still  clung  creaking  and  rattling  like  a  dun- 
geon fetter  as  the  wind  tossed  it  to  and  fro.  Close  by  lay  a  shat- 
tered marble  shaft  which  the  angry  winds  had  hurled  from  its 
pedestal  and  tall  weeds  and  rank  growth  were  blotting  out  its 
inscriptions.  Decadence  due  to  neglect  was  manifest  everywhere 
in  this  ruined  city  of  the  dead. 

Facing  the  entrance  of  the  cemetery  from  the  south  stands  a 
plain  marble  shaft  seven  feet  high  which  marks  the  grave  of 
Joseph  Rodman  Drake. 

Whatever  fitness  there  may  have  been  in  burying  Drake  in 
that  particular  spot,  was  lost  in  the  neglect  into  which  his  grave 
was  afterward  permitted  to  fall. 

In  1891  the  Brownson  Literary  Union  in  appreciation  of  his 
genius  restored  the  monument  to  a  semblance  of  its  former  neat- 
ness.   The  inscription  reads: 

Sacred 
to  the  Memory 
of 

Joseph  R.  Drake,  M.D. 
who  died  Sept.  21st 
1820 
Aged  25  Years 
None  knew  him  but  to  love  him, 
Nor  named  him  but  to  praise. 


Renovated  by  The 
Brownson  Literary  Union 
July  25,  1891. 


HUNT'S  POINT 


101 


The  little  cemetery  is  also  the  final  resting  place  of  veterans 
of  the  various  Colonial  wars  and  of  Continental  soldiers,  members 
of  the  Hunt,  Leggett,  Willett  and  allied  families. 

Directly  opposite  the  Hunt  burying  ground  is  a  small  en- 


Slave  Burying  Ground 

closure  in  which  the  slaves  of  early  residents  were  interred.  It  is 
also  said  that  "Bill,"  the  negro  pilot  of  the  wrecked  British  frigate 
Hussar,  was  buried  there: 

"After  the  voice  of  shrieking  winds 
And  tossing  of  the  angry  deep, 
In  kind  embrace  of  Mother  Earth 
Resting,  like  child  in  quiet  sleep." 


CHAPTER  XI 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  BESSIE  WARREN 

The  Daughter  of  Old  Simon,  the  Landlord  of  the  "King's  Arms" — Her  Love 
for  the  Dashing  Officer  Who  Was  Branded  a  British  Spy — The  Maiden 
Who  Did  Not  Forget;  But  Answered  the  Summons  of  a  Beckoning  Spirit 
and  Was  Taken  over  the  Great  Beyond. 


HE  consolidation  of  The  Bronx  with  the  Greater 
City  in  1897,  brought  about  many  changes.  When 
the  Hunt's  Point  section  was  mapped  out  into  regu- 
lar city  streets,  the  little  "God's  Acre"  was  threat- 


ened with  destruction,  for  a  street  was  to  be  cut 
directly  thru  its  center.  When  this  became  public  a  storm 
of  protests  arose  from  various  historical  societies  and 
literary  associations  to  prevent  the  obliteration  of  the  old 
cemetery.  One  of  the  staunchest  champions  for  its  preservation 
was  the  Hon.  James  L.  Wells,  and  thru  his  untiring  efforts,  com- 
bined with  other  pressure  that  was  brought  to  bear,  the  original 
street  plan  was  finally  altered  and  the  historic  spot  saved.  By  way 
of  compromise  the  city  turned  the  burial  plot  into  a  park  and  it 
has  since  been  known  as  the  Joseph  Rodman  Drake  Park. 

Of  the  many  headstones  crumbling  into  decay,  there  was  one" 
which  has  been  marvelously  preserved,  and  stood  as  firm  and  erect 
as  when  first  placed  there.  It  was  the  grave  of  Elizabeth  Willett, 
who  departed  this  life  the  19th  of  June,  1772,  aged  27  years,  three 
months — so  the  inscription  on  the  tombstone  averred.  Here  are  the 
lines  graven  beneath  her  name : 

Behold  and  see,  as  you  pass  by; 
As  you  are  NOW,  so  once  was  I, 
As  I  am  now,  you  soon  will  be, 
Prepare  for  death  and  follow  me. 

Why  was  so  grim  an  epitaph  chosen  for  her?  An  involuntary 
shudder  passes  over  one  as  he  muses  over  these  lines : 

102 


THE  ROMANCE  OF  BESSIE  WARREN 


103 


"  'Tis  the  wink  of  the  eye,  'tis  the  draught  of  a  breath 
From  the  blossom  of  health  to  the  paleness  of  death, 
From  the  gilded  saloon  to  the  bier  and  the  shroud — 
Oh!   Why  should  the  spirit  of  mortal  be  proud?" 

One  wonders  whether  the  Elizabeth  Willett  resting  there  could 
be  the  Elizabeth  Warren  whose  romance,  full  of  pathos  and  sorrow 
has  been  handed  down  from  parent  to  child  for  more  than  a 
century,  and  who  is  said  to  be  sleeping  in  an  unmarked  grave 
somewhere  in  the  neighborhood. 

Whether  Elizabeth  Warren  really  existed  in  life,  or  was  merely 
the  fanciful  creation  of  a  romancer  can  not  be  authentically  stated, 
as  historical  research  has  failed  to  reveal  her  identity. 

Tradition  tells  us  that  when  Elizabeth  Warren  was  the  belle 
of  Hunt's  Point,  that  section  was  considerably  smaller  than  it  is 
today — there  were  the  meeting  house,  the  blacksmith's  shop,  the 
"King's  Arms,"  and  a  dozen  or  two  cottages.  These  were  all,  but 
in  those  days  such  pioneer  buildings  constituted  no  mean  village. 

Elizabeth  was  the  daughter  of  old  Simon  Warren,  the  landlord 
of  the  "King's  Arms"  and  she  entered  her  maturity  at  a  time  when 
the  air  was  overcast  with  rumors  of  approaching  trouble.  Already 
the  first  sign  of  that  unrest  which  was  to  culminate  in  the  Revolu- 
tion, was  plain  to  all  who  had  eyes  to  see  and  ears  to  hear;  and 
it  was  said  that  there  was  no  better  place  to  observe  these  symp- 
toms than  in  the  tap-room  of  Warren's  inn. 

Warren  came  of  that  New  England  stock  which  had  turned 
England  topsy-turvy,  and  which  was  later  to  suffer  severely  for  it, 
tho  with  ultimate  happy  results.  The  English  consequently 
had  no  more  bitter  enemy  in  all  the  restless  Colony  than  Simon 
Warren.  To  his  place  it  was,  therefore,  that  young  hot-heads  of 
the  neighborhood  resorted  when  they  desired  to  discuss  the  manner 
in  which  they  were  to  rid  themselves  of  the  insufferable  yoke  of 
the  Mother  Country. 

One  evening  at  the  close  of  a  stormy  day,  a  mud-bespattered 
traveler  entered  the  "King's  Arms"  and  sat  long  before  the  fire 
with  old  Simon,  while  pretty  Bessie,  the  landlord's  daughter, 
brought  them  many  a  foaming  tankard  to  help  the  talk  along. 

Now,  it  never  occurred  to  the  hospitable  Simon  that  the  polite 
stranger  he  was  entertaining  was  a  British  spy  who  had  been  sent 
to  feel  the  pulse  of  the  Colonies.    Having  discovered  that  Simon's 


104 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


inn  was  the  meeting  place  for  the  revolutionary  hot-heads,  he  de- 
cided that  he  couldn't  gauge  the  sentiments  of  the  people  better 
than  at  the  old  inn. 

He  was  young,  handsome,  learned;  and,  before  he  had  been 
at  the  "King's  Arms"  very  long,  he  had  captivated  Bessie's  heart, 
and  in  their  rambles  thru  the  lanes  of  Westchester,  he  poured 
into  her  innocent  heart  the  witcheries  of  romance  and  poetry. 
So  sentimental  were  his  words  and  so  gallant  his  actions,  that 
Bessie  looked  up  to  her  youthful  admirer  as  a  being  of  a  superior 
order;  and,  before  she  was  aware  of  it,  she  had  blushingly  con- 
sented to  become  his  wife.  On  the  very  day  he  had  asked  for 
Bessie's  hand,  came  the  discovery  that  he  was  a  British  spy.  They 
found  him  in  the  garret  with  his  ear  to  a  crack  in  the  floor  listen- 
ing to  the  fiery  speeches  of  the  Patriots'  Club  in  the  room  below. 

It  was  a  wild  night — outside  the  inn  the  great  elms  tossed 
their  branches  about  like  giants  in  agony.  The  signboard  groaned 
as  it  swung  before  the  gate.  The  fury  of  the  storm  kept  the 
happy  Bessie  awake  long  after  she  had  said  "Good  night,"  and 
retired.  It  seemed  to  her  that  she  heard  a  shot — another,  and 
another.  The  wind  lulled  for  a  second;  and,  as  she  listened,  in 
the  sullen  silence  there  was  an  awful  cry.  Then  the  storm  swept 
down  again  and  she  told  herself  that  it  was  nothing  but  a  loose 
shutter;  but  her  nervous  fear  worked  on  her  imagination  until 
she  believed  a  tragedy  had  occurred. 

They  told  Bessie  the  next  morning  that  her  lover  was  a  spy 
and  that  he  had  fled  like  a  thief  in  the  night  with  the  dread  of 
discovery. 

The  blow  came  like  a  thunderclap  from  a  clear  sky  to  Bessie. 
It  was  not  long  after  this  that  a  great  shadow  darkened  her  life. 
None  knew  whether  she  suspected  the  truth  about  the  disappear- 
ance of  her  handsome  lover,  but  many  of  the  country-folk  round 
about  declared  that  they  had  seen  a  ghastly  figure  wandering 
nightly  over  the  hillsides,  always  looking  for  something  it  never 
found. 

Like  a  beautiful  lily  cut  down,  Bessie  began  visibly  to  pine 
away.  Everything  possible  was  done  to  divert  her  thoughts  and 
bring  the  color  back  to  her  pallid  cheeks — but  all  in  vain.  Some- 
thing had  gone  out  of  her  life  that  could  not  be  replaced.  Then 
one  day  old  Simon  found  his  daughter  sitting  at  the  window  of 
her  room  apparently  gazing  earnestly  out  at  something.   He  called 


THE  ROiMANCE  OF  BESSIE  WARREN 


105 


to  her,  but  therp  was  no  answer;  he  touched  her  with  a  feeling  of 
awe,  for  there  was  that  about  her  that  transcended  his  under- 
standing. His  eyes  filled  with  tears;  he  broke  away  from  her 
with  a  great  cry.  He  understood:  Bessie  had  found  her  lost 
lover. 

Tradition  says  that  they  laid  her  tenderly  in  a  grove  of  tall 
elms  on  the  hillside  where  she  watched  nightly  for  the  return  of  her 
lover : 

"In  vain  her  vigils  did  the  maiden  keep — 

This  patriot  daughter  with  her  love-lit  eyes — 
Waiting  her  absent  lover's  slow  return 

Beneath   Westchester's  mellow  evening  skies. 

Dim  figures  they  of  that  far-distant  strife 

Whose  swords  are  sheathed,  with  all  their  dent  and  stain, 
This  warrior  bold,  this  sweetheart  desolate 

Wounded  to  death  by  war's  stern  thrust  of  pain. 

Yet  still  above  thy  turf-grown  bed,  sweet  girl, 

Walk  other  lovers  of  this  latest  day, 
Who  hear  thy  tale  of  passion  and  of  grief 

And  in  their  reverance  hold  thee  dear  alway. 

So  shall  the  memory  of  thy  woman's  trust 

More  beauteous  ever  grow,  as  swift  time  flies, 
Like  flowers  that  blossom  from  the  common  dust 

And  shed  their  fragrance  as  of  Paradise." 


CHAPTER  XII 


THE  "NEUTRAL  GROUND" 

The  Indian  Cave — Leggett  and  His  Stolen  Mare — The  Westchester  Guides — 
Barretto's  Point — A  Wooden  Armchair  That  Came  over  with  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers. 

HE  most  powerful  of  the  tribes  of  aborigines  which 
inhabited  The  Bronx  were  the  Weckquaesgeeks.  Relics 
of  their  settlements  are  still  to  be  found  along  the 
shores  of  the  Bronx  and  the  East  Rivers.  Of  these 
prehistoric  relics,  perhaps  the  most  interesting  is  the 
"Indian  cave,"  which  is  located  a  short  distance  east  of  the  Hunt 
burying  ground  and  about  three  hundred  yards  north  of  the  bridge 
crossing  the  creek.  This  is  said  to  have  been  the  favorite  haunt  of 
the  redmen,  and  it  is  there  that  many  treaties  were  made  with 
the  whites.  Close  by  are  the  remains  of  hastily  thrown  up  earth- 
works of  Lord  Howe's  Army. 

During  the  dark  days  of  the  Revolution,  the  little  settlements 
along  the  East  River  endured  many  hardships  and  privations.  With 
the  retreat  of  the  American  army  in  November,  1776,  Westchester 
County  was  overrun  with  British  refugees,  known  as  "Cowboys," 
who  committed  all  sorts  of  depredations  and  raids  upon  the  de- 
fenseless farmers.  Equally  rapacious  were  the  American  ma- 
rauders, called  "Skinners,"  who  made  frequent  raids  upon  the 
loyalist  inhabitants  of  the  county.  These  bands  of  cowboys  and 
of  skinners  carried  on  their  plundering  expeditions  into  the  so- 
called  "Neutral  Ground"- — -a  strip  of  land  between  the  American 
outposts  under  the  command  of  General  Heath  and  those  of  the 
British  under  Lieutenant-Colonel  James  De  Lancey. 

An  interesting  story  is  told  about  Thomas  Leggett,  whose 
ancestors  had  been  resident  proprietors  of  the  "Planting  Neck" 
section. 

Thomas  Leggett  was  the  oldest  son  of  Gabriel  Leggett,  2nd. 
He  strongly  resented  the  invasion  of  the  British.  He  organized  a 
vigilance  committee  of  Home  Guards,  as  they  were  called  among 

106 


THE  "NEUTRAL  GROUND 


107 


the  young  men  of  the  neighborhood,  and  patrolled  the  highways. 
At  the  first  approach  of  the  enemy  they  were  to  give  the  alarm 
and  as  they  were  equipped  with  the  latest  firearms,  they  hoped  to 
drive  invaders  off  their  lands.  However,  they  were  caught  napping. 
A  party  of  British  refugees  got  thru  their  lines  unobserved, 
and  seized  Leggett  just  as  he  was  leading  his  favorite  mare  out  of 
the  barn.  Being  unarmed  he  had  to  submit  to  their  outrages. 
They  carried  off  the  young  mare,  which  had  been  a  gift  of  his  par- 


Indian  Cave 


ents,  along  with  the  other  property.  Leggett  was  furious ;  he  threat- 
ened to  have  the  marauders  hanged ;  but  they  only  mocked  him 
as  they  went  on  their  way.  He  followed  them,  however,  hoping 
to  meet  some  of  the  Guards,  but  they  all  seemed  to  have  vanished. 
When  the  party  reached  the  junction  of  what  are  now  Tremont 
Avenue  and  Boston  Road,  two  Continental  soldiers  rose  from  be- 
hind a  stone  wall  and  fired.  The  man  leading  the  horse  was  shot 
and  he  fell.  The  mare,  finding  herself  free,  took  to  her  heels  and 
ran  home,  much  to  the  delight  of  her  owner. 

The  County  of  Westchester  contributed  largely  to  the  Ameri- 
can cause.    Versed  in  every  hidden  path  of  the  region,  the  West- 


108 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BkONX 


Chester  guides  were  of  invaluable  service  to  Washington  and  his 
troops. 

The  foremost  of  these  patriotic-spirited  guides  were  Abraham 
and  Michael  Dyckman,  whose  old  homestead  at  King's  Bridge  Road 
(Broadway)  and  Hawthorne  Street,  rebuilt  at  the  close  of  the 
Revolution,  is  still  pointed  out  as  the  only  remaining  Dutch  farm- 
house on  the  road. 

In  May,  1780,  Michael  Dyckman  acted  as  guide  to  Captain 
Cushing  of  the  Massachusetts  Line  in  his  attack  upon  De  Lancey's 
Corps.   The  Americans  captured  more  than  forty  prisoners. 

Michael  Dyckman  figured  in  an  exploit  on  the  26th  of  March, 
1782,  when,  with  thirteen  volunteer  horsemen  he  made  an  excur- 
sion to  Morrisania,  and  took  five  of  De  Lancey's  corps  and  five 
horses.  On  their  return  they  were  pursued  by  a  party  of  the 
enemy's  horse,  but  when  the  British  came  near,  the  gallant  West- 
chester Volunteers  faced  right  about,  charged  vigorously,  took 
one  man  prisoner  with  his  horse,  and  put  the  rest  to  flight.  The 
enemy  again  appeared  on  the  old  Eastchester  Road  but  dared  not 
renew  the  attack. 

Abraham  Dyckman  was  mortally  wounded  on  March  4th, 
1782,  while  piloting  a  body  of  volunteer  horse  under  Captain 
Hunnewell  (after  whom  Honeywell  Avenue  in  West  Farms  was 
subsequently  named).  The  Americans  made  the  attack  on  the 
cantonment  of  De  Lancey's  corps  just  before  sunrise,  taking  the 
enemy  completely  by  surprise,  killing  and  wounding  many,  and 
capturing  twenty  prisoners.  De  Lancey  himself  would  perhaps 
have  been  taken  prisoner  had  not  the  British  loyalists  fired  the 
alarm  guns  and  thus  caused  the  Americans  to  retire.  The  enemy 
quickly  started  in  pursuit  but  soon  fell  into  an  ambuscade  set  by 
Major  Woodbridge,  who  with  a  party  of  light  infantry  had  ac- 
companied Captain  Hunnewell. 

The  State  of  New  York  has  erected  a  granite  monument  at 
Yorktown  in  memory  of  the  patriotic  services  of  Abraham 
Dyckman. 

The  headquarters  of  De  Lancey's  corps  was  the  De  Lancey 
Block  House,  which  had  stood  on  the  site  of  the  Peabody  House 
(One  Hundred  and  Seventy-ninth  Street) ,  and  which  was  destroyed 
in  a  midnight  attack  by  Aaron  Burr  in  1779.  The  De  Lancey  Pine, 
150  feet  high,  is  still  one  of  the  historic  landmarks  of  West 
Farms. 


Telephone,  1333  Tremont 

C.  SILVESTRO 

MANUFACTURER  AND  DESIGNER  OF 

Electric  and  Gas  Fixtures 

REMODELING  AND  REFINISHING 

Electrically  Lighted  Statuary 
SALESROOM  AND  FACTORY:   4149  PARK  AVE. 

Near  176th  Street 

[                         NEW  YORK  CITY 

Telephone,  676  Tremont 

TREMOMT  GARAGE,  Inc. 

A.  H.  SEAD ALE,  Mgr. 

storing    AUTOMOBILES — renting 

REPAIRS  &  ACCESSORIES 

1932-4  Washington  Ave.,  near  Tremont  Ave. 

NEW  YORK  CITY 

"Good  Service  at  Low  Cost" 

Established               '"^/^(  V^*"  Telephone 

1874                                     1227  Melrose 

Slate  and  Metal 
ROOFING 

Hot  Air  Furnaces  Leaders 
Ranges  Skylights 

Gutters                    Roofs  Repaired  and  Painted 

CHAS.  H.  KIRK 

1 109  Washington  Ave.           Bronx,  N.  Y.  City 

Suits  Made  to  Order    Dresses  Made  to  Order  , 

From  y>ur  own  material        Krom  your  own  material 

$6.00  Up                  $3.00  Up 

QHp  ulmmmt  %ISKX  ^ktrt  g>liop 

470  TREMONT  AVENUE 

(ROOM  8) 

Bet.  Bathgate  and  Washington  Aves 
Bronx,  N.  Y  City 

Tremont  Packing  House 

645  Tremont  Ave.,  near  Belmont  Ave. 
J.  OECHSNER 

Wholesale  and  Retail  Dealers  in 
Jersey  Pork,  Bologna  and  Provisions. 
Sugar  Cured  Hams 
and  Bacon  our  Specialty. 

GERMAN  SAUSAGES 

Manufactured  on  premises 

under  strictly  sanitary  conditions. 

Phone,  5068  Tremont 

Established  1889 

FRANK  GASS 

Incorporated 

Real  Estate  and  Insurance 

2215  WESTCHESTER  AVE.  BRONX 
Telephone  Westchester  137 


Rents    Collected  Estates  Managed 

Real  Estate  Appraisals 
Money  Loaned  on  Bond  &  Mort^a^e 


Telephone,  290  Westchester 

Schultz's  Hotel 
and  Park 

CHARLES  A.  SCHULTZ,  Prop. 

Newly  Renovated 
DANCE  HALL  and 

BOWLING  ALLEYS 
The  Shadiest  Park  in  the  Bronx 
Automobile  Sheds 

2061  Westchester  Avenue 
Near  Olmstead  Ave.  Unionport,  N.Y. 

Take  Westchester  Ave.  Car  at  128th  St.,  U9th 

St.  or  at  Simpson  St. 
Also  crosstown  Tremont  Ave.  Car1  at  West 

Farms  direct  to  Park. 


TELEPHONE   MELROSE  1243 

PHONE  MELROSE  3319           SIMPSON   ST.   SUBWAY  ST  A. 

H.  A.  MEDOFF.   M.D..  D  O. 

Chester  J|aU  itlusiic  ;§>tore 

WM,   BAUMGARTEN.  PROP. 

1052  SOUTHERN  BOULEVARD 

817  WESTCHESTER  AVENUE 

NEAR   WESTCHESTER  AVE.                            BRONX.   N.  Y. 

NEAR    PROSPECT  AVENUE 

NEW  YORK 

PIANOS  CLASSICAL 

SHEET  MUSIC 
VIOLINS  POPULAR 

EVES    EXAMINED    BV  SCIENTIFIC  METHODS 

MANDOLINS  AND  ALL  INSTRUMENTS 

THE  "NEUTRAL  GROUND 


109 


"Memorial  of  the  fallen  great, 
The  rich  and  honored  line, 
Stands  high  in  solitary  state, 
De  Lancey's  Ancient  Pine.'' 

Andrew  Corsa,  born  in  the  Rose  Hill  Manor  House  which  is 
situated  on  the  grounds  of  Fordham  University,  was  the  last  of 
the  Westchester  guides.  He  was  called  upon  to  act  as  guide  to 
Washington  and  Rochambeau  when  he  was  but  nineteen  years  of 
age.    One  time  when  the  French  and  American  allies  were  march- 


Mayflower  Chairs 

ing  past  the  Morris  mansion  opposite  Randal's  Island  and  Snake 
Hill,  where  the  British  were  encamped,  the  enemy's  artillery 
opened  fire.  Scared  out  of  his  wits,  young  Corsa  dashed  for  his 
life  and  took  refuge  behind  the  old  Morrisania  mill.  Taking  a 
furtive  glance  from  his  hiding  place  and  seeing  Washington  and 
the  other  generals  riding  along  unperturbed  and  heedless  of  any- 
thing about  them,  he  hastily  spurred  on  his  horse  and  galloped 
back  to  his  place  on  the  line,  where  he  was  cheered  for  his  courage. 
Andrew  Corsa  died  in  1852,  at  the  age  of  ninety-one  at  Bedford 
Park,  nearly  opposite  the  Rose  Hill  manor-house. 

Blythe  Place  was  a  strip  of  land  running  to  a  point  somewhat 


110 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


similar  to  the  Hunt  property,  southwest  of  the  Planting  Neck, 
and  became  known  in  later  years  as  Barretto's  Point.  The  property 
was  owned  by  Francis  J.  Barretto,  who  for  one  year  represented 
Westchester  County  in  the  State  Assembly.  Blythe  the  residence 
of  Barretto,  was  of  Revolutionary  date,  and  when  its  inside  shutters 
were  closed  it  was  a  miniature  fortress.  Close  by  stood  the  resi- 
dence of  Thomas  Leggett,  near  the  Leggett  Dock.  The  Leggetts 
originally  came  from  Essex  County,  England,  and  traced  their 


"Woodside"  Mansion 

ancestry  back  to  Helmingino  Leget,  High  Sheriff  of  that  county  in 
1404.  As  early  as  1661,  Gabriel  Leggett  emigrated  to  this  country. 
Thru  the  marriage  of  Elizabeth  Richardson,  daughter  of  John 
Richardson,  who  with  Edward  Jessup  were  the  first  white  owners 
of  that  large  tract  of  land,  he  fell  heir  to  much  of  the  property. 
In  the  field  opposite  the  George  Fox  mansion,  erected  about  1848, 
on  the  long  slope  below  the  Spofford  mansion,  is  the  site  of  the 
Leggett  burying  ground,  where  ten  bodies  of  early  settlers  were 
removed,  one  being  that  of  Mayor  Leggett  of  Westchester. 

When  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  landed  on  Plymouth  Rock,  in  1620, 
they  brought  with  them  among  their  household  furniture,  two 


THE  "NEUTRAL  GROUND 


Hi 


wooden  armchairs,  which  had  no  historical  associations  at  that 
time,  but  were  strong  and  sturdy  and  had  been  of  great  comfort 
to  the  suffering  pioneers;  and  so,  for  "old-times'  sake"  were  taken 
ashore.  Later  these  chairs  were  presented  to  Governor  Carvel, 
who  took  a  peculiar  fancy  to  them,  because  they  brought  back  re- 
collections of  the  Old  World.  For  many  years  the  chairs  occupied 
a  prominent  place  in  the  library  of  Charles  V.  Faile,  who  lived  in 
the  beautiful  "Woodside"  mansion  which  stood  on  the  site  now 
occupied  by  the  plant  of  the  American  Bank  Note  Company  on 
Lafayette  Avenue. 

Woodside  was  built  in  1832  by  E.  G.  Faile  an  importer  of 
tea  and  sugar.  He  was  regarded  as  a  rich  man  for  those  days  and, 
being  a  lover  of  horses,  he  imported  fast  horses  from  Argentina  at 
a  cost,  according  to  tradition,  of  $1,000  each  in  transportation 
alone.  He  drove  to  his  place  of  business  in  Chambers  Street  every 
day  and  was  always  at  his  office  by  9  o'clock. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


NATHAN  HALE 

"I  regret  That  I  Have  But  One  Life  to  Lose  for  My  Country"— Capt.  Hale, 
the  Patriot,  Scholar  and  Soldier,  Whose  Mission  Brought  Him  Death 
But  Spread  His  Name  on  the  Living  Pages  of  History. 

HE  "LOCUSTS"  was  another  famous  Revolutionary- 
dwelling  which  stood  upon  the  Faile  property  near 
Hunt's  Point  Road.  It  is  said  that  Nathan  Hale  stopped 
here  over  night  while  reconnoitering  in  the  neighbor- 
hood at  the  time  the  British  were  crossing  at  Hell  Gate 
and  Washington  had  moved  his  troops  to  Harlem  Heights.  It 
was  shortly  after  this  incident  that  Cnpt.  Hale  started  on  his  ex- 
pediton  as  spy. 

The  story  of  Hale's  heroic  death,  and  the  memorable  words 
he  uttered  when  he  was  standing  on  the  fatal  ladder,  will  ever  re- 
main an  inspiration  to  American  hearts. 

Hale  was  only  twenty-one  years  old  when  he  died.  He  was 
born  in  Coventry,  Connecticut,  June  6,  1755,  and  was  the  sixth 
child  of  a  family  of  twelve.  He  entered  Yale  College  in  1770  and 
was  graduated  with  the  highest  honors  three  years  later.  After 
leaving  college  he  became  a  teacher  in  New  London,  Connecticut, 
intending  eventually  to  enter  the  ministry.  Hardly  had  his  career 
begun  when  tidings  arrived  of  the  outbreak  at  Lexington.  His 
spirit  was  fired,  and  at  a  mass  meeting  of  his  townspeople  in 
Minery's  Tavern,  he  dedicated  his  life  to  the  cause  of  American 
liberty. 

"Let  us  march  immediately,  and  not  lay  down  our  arms  until 
we  have  gained  our  independence!"  he  said  in  most  ardent  tones. 
Before  the  meeting  closed,  a  company  had  been  formed,  and  at 
daybreak  it  was  on  its  way  to  Boston. 

It  was  during  the  siege  of  Boston  that  Hale  displayed  his 
great  ability  as  a  leader.  In  consideration  of  the  services  rendered 
there,  he  was  commissioned  a  Captain. 

During  the  summer  of  1776,  the  American  army  suffered  most. 

112 


NATHAN  HALE 


113 


The  battle  of  Long  Island  had  been  disastrous,  and  a  hasty  retreat 
had  been  made  to  Manhattan  Island.  The  outlook  was  discour- 
aging. Men  were  ill  and  were  dying  in  appalling  numbers;  deser- 
tions were  many;  the  army  was  being  rapidly  decimated.  Lack 
of  food  and  the  failure  to  receive  pay  were  breeding  insubordina- 
tion, and  not  more  than  fourteen  thousand  men  were  fit  for  duty. 
Across  the  East  River  was  a  British  army  of  about  twenty-five 


"The  Locusts" 


thousand  seasoned  troops,  and  in  the  Lower  Bay  a  powerful  navy 
lay  stripped  for  action. 

For  the  first  time  since  Washington  had  taken  the  field,  he 
was  worried  and  depressed.  On  every  side  he  saw  a  choice  of 
difficulties  confronting  him.  In  a  letter  to  the  President  of  Con- 
gress, he  writes : 

"It  is  evident,  the  enemy  mean  to  close  us  on  the  island  of 
New  York,  by  taking  post  in  our  rear,  while  the  shipping  secures 
the  front,  and  thus,  by  cutting  off  our  communication  with  the 
country,  oblige  us  to  fight  them  on  their  own  terms,  or  surrender 
at  discretion ;  or  by  a  brililant  stroke  endeavor  to  cut  this  army 


114 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


in  pieces,  and  secure  the  collection  of  arms  and  stores,  they  well 
know,  we  shall  not  be  able  soon  to  replace." 

The  question  was:  How  could  the  enemy's  plan  be  most  suc- 
cessfully opposed  and  defeated?  To  Washington  there  seemed 
but  one  way  of  discovering  Howe's  plans,  and  that  was  for  a 
competent  person  to  enter  the  British  lines,  and  procure  intelli- 
gence of  their  designs.  The  duty  of  finding  a  volunteer  for  this 
delicate  enterprise  was  left  to  Lieutenant  Colonel  Knowlton,  who 
had  distinguished  himself  at  Bunker  Hill,  and  who  had  some  of  the 
best  fighters  under  him. 

Summoning  his  officers  for  a  conference,  Colonel  Knowlton 
explained  to  them  the  situation,  and  the  vital  importance  of  the 
mission.  But  his  plea  was  met  with  cold  response.  The  work  re- 
quired of  them,  so  they  argued,  was  degrading  for  men  of  honor 
and  refinement.  Colonel  Knowlton  was  about  to  give  way  to 
despair  when  Captain  Hale,  emaciated  from  the  effects  of  a  recent 
illness,  entered  the  room  and  volunteered  to  undertake  the  work 
requested  by  his  Commander-in-chief.  In  vain  Hale's  brother 
officers  tried  to  dissuade  him,  but  no  argument  deterred  him  from 
his  resolve  to  serve  his  country. 

"I  think  I  owe  my  country  the  accomplishment  of  an  object 
so  important,  and  so  much  desired  by  the  Commander  of  our 
armies,  and  I  know  of  no  other  mode  of  obtaining  the  informa- 
tion than  by  assuming  a  disguise  and  passing  into  the  enemy's 
camp.  I  am  fully  sensible  of  the  consequences  of  discovery  and 
capture  in  such  a  situation,  but  for  a  year  I  have  been  attached  to 
the  army  and  have  not  rendered  any  material  service.  Yet,  I  am 
not  influenced  by  the  expectation  of  promotion  or  pecuniary  re- 
ward. I  wish  to  be  useful,  and  every  kind  of  service,  necessary 
for  the  public  good  becomes  honorable  by  being  necessary.  If 
my  country  demands  a  peculiar  service,  its  claims  of  the  perform- 
ance of  that  service  are  imperious." 

Accompanied  by  Colonel  Knowlton,  Captain  Hale  presented 
himself  before  General  Washington  and  received  final  instructions. 
He  started  on  his  fatal  expedition  from  the  Roger  Morris  house, 
better  known  as  the  Jumel  Mansion  on  Harlem  Heights. 

Assuming  his  professional  character  of  schoolmaster,  he  was 
taken  down  the  Sound  at  night  and  landed  at  Great  Neck  in 
Huntington  Bay  where  he  boldly  plunged  into  the  enemy's  lines. 


NATHAN  HALE 


115 


Captain  Hale  was  gone  about  two  weeks,  and  in  that  time  made 
the  rounds  of  the  entire  British  camps  including  New  York,  of 
which  the  enemy  had  taken  possession  on  September  15th.  The 
schoolmaster  completed  drawings  of  their  defences  and  jotted  down 
in  Latin  the  information  he  had  gathered.  After  completing  his 
dangerous  task,  Captain  Hale  retraced  his  steps  to  Huntington, 
where  a  boat  was  to  meet  him  and  convey  him  to  the  Connecticut 
shore. 

According  to  some  writers,  Hale  was  betrayed  by  a  cousin 
who  recognized  him  sitting  in  Widow  Chichester's  tavern  waiting 
for  his  boat;  but  no  proof  exists  for  the  authenticity  of  this  re- 
port. It  is  more  likely,  however,  that  in  the  dark  he  mistook  the 
boat  from  the  British  flagship  Halifax,  which  had  been  sent  to 
shore  for  water,  for  his  own,  and  did  not  discover  his  mistake 
until  he  found  himself  a  prisoner  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  He 
was  taken  aboard  the  ship,  stripped  and  searched.  The  plans  and 
Latin  memoranda  were  found  hidden  between  the  soles  of  his 
shoes.  On  this  evidence,  he  was  adjudged  a  spy,  and  immediately 
hurried  to  New  York,  where  he  landed  on  Saturday,  September 
21st,  the  day  of  the  great  fire  which  destroyed  four  hundred 
buildings.  The  prisoner  was  taken  to  General  Howe's  headquar- 
ters in  the  Beekman  mansion,  Fifty-first  Street  and  First  Avenue. 

It  is  said  that  General  Howe  had  retired  to  the  greenhouse 
in  the  rear  of  the  mansion,  when  the  young  patriot  was  brought 
before  him.  Hale  denied  nothing.  He  admitted  he  was  a  captain 
in  Washington's -army,  and  that  he  had  been  sent  on  a  secret  mis- 
sion, and  only  regretted  that  he  had  not  been  successful. 

After  a  brief  parley  he  was  sentenced  to  be  executed  at  day- 
break the  next  morning.  He  was  taken  in  charge  by  the  notorious 
Cunningham,  Provost  Marshal  of  the  Royal  army,  who  boasted 
of  having  been  responsible  for  the  death  of  several  hundred  Fed- 
eral prisoners,  who  were  confined  in  the  old  sugar-house  prison. 

Captain  Hale  was  thrust  into  one  of  the  numerous  cells  be- 
neath the  prison,  and  here  his  death  warrant  was  read  to  him  by 
Cunningham.  As  the  keeper  was  departing,  the  young  patriot 
requested  that  his  arms  which  had  been  securely  bound  might 
be  released,  and  that  he  might  have  some  writing  materials  and  a 
light.  Cunningham  brutally  denied  him  these  favors,  as  he  did 
also  his  request  for  a  Bible.    Later,  however,  a  young  officer  of 


116 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Captain  Hale's  guard  interceded,  and  a  light,  pen  and  paper, 
as  well  as  a  Bible,  were  given  to  the  condemned  prisoner. 

The  Captain  passed  the  night  writing.  One  letter  he  in- 
dited to  his  mother,  another  to  his  sister,  and  a  third  to  his 
sweetheart.  What  happened  after  he  finished  his  writing  we  have 
no  means  of  knowing,  but  it  is  likely  that  he  devoted  the  rest  of  his 
time  to  prayer. 


Courtesy  of  D.  Applcton  <£■  Co. 

Nathan  Hale  Monument  in  City  Hall  Park 

At  daybreak  the  door  of  the  cell  was  opened  and  Cunningham, 
accompanied  by  a  file  of  guards,  entered.  They  found  Captain 
Hale  ready  to  meet  his  fate.  To  Cunningham  the  patriot  handed 
the  letters  which  he  had  written,  and  as  a  dying  request  asked 
that  they  be  forwarded  to  his  family.  Cunningham  read  the  let- 
ters and  in  Captain  Hale's  presence  destroyed  the  last  message  of 
a  man  about  to  die.  When  asked  later  why  he  had  done  this,  Cun- 
ningham said :  "I  did  not  want  the  rebels  to  know  they  had  a  man 
who  could  die  with  such  firmness." 


NATHAN  HALE  117 

The  dawn  was  just  breaking  when  Captain  Hale  was  marched 
to  the  place  of  execution.  Then,  while  the  patriot  stood  on  the 
rounds  of  the  ladder,  with  a  noose  around  his  neck,  Cunningham 


Page  from  Memorandum  Book 


demanded  of  his  victim  his  last  dying  speech  and  confession.  It 
is  said  that  Captain  Hale  glanced  at  him  with  a  look  of  contempt 
but  paid  no  heed  to  the  man's  sneering  remarks.   Then  turning  to ' 
the  others  he  impressively  uttered  the  immortal  words: 

"I  only  regret  that  I  have  but  one  life  to  lose  for  my  country !" 


118 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


The  young  patriot  was  buried  near  the  spot  where  he  was 
executed.  The  site  was  unmarked,  but  it  is  supposed  to  have  been 
under  an  apple  tree  which  grew  where  a  statue  of  him  now 
stands  in  City  Hall  Park.  This  bronze  representation  of  the 
young  captain  with  his  arms  bound  is  one  of  the  most  pathetic 
figures  ever  wrought  by  a  sculptor. 

A  few  years  ago,  there  was  found  in  a  second-hand  bookstore 
in  London  a  large  memorandum  book  which  had  evidently  be- 
longed to  some  British  soldier  during  the  Revolution.  The  relic 
is  of  great  historic  value  and  it  is  now  in  the  possession  of  the  New 
York  Historical  Society. 

One  of  the  entries  reads : 

"September  22,  1776:  A  Spy  from  the  Enemy  (by  his  own 
full  Confession)  Apprehended  Last  night,  was  this  day  Executed 
at  11  o'clock  in  front  of  the  Artillery." 

This  is  said  to  be  the  only  official  record  of  the  execution  of 
Nathan  Hale. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


CLASON'S  POINT 

The  Coney  Island  of  The  Bronx — Cornell's  Neck — Three  Clergymen  who  Hid 
in  a  Farm  House  in  the  Days  of  the  Revolution — The  Distinction  of  the 
Ferris  Mansion  at  Zerega's  Point — The  Fate  of  Anne  Hutchinson. 

ROSSING  the  railroad  bridge  on  Westchester  Avenue 
and  Edgewater  Road,  we  pass  what  was  once  the  beau- 
tiful Watson  estate  and  the  old  Westchester  golf 
grounds.  The  property  is  now  in  the  hands  of  a  real 
estate  company,  which  is  cutting  up  the  land  into  build- 
ing lots. 

One  of  the  most  delightful  trolley  rides  thru  picturesque 
Westchester,  is  the  trip  to  Clason's  Point,  called  by  the  Indians 
Snakapins.  The  car  passes  thru  charming  country  regions 
that  would  never  be  looked  for  on  the  very  edge  of  New  York  City. 
Clason's  Point  is  ideally  located  on  the  Sound,  and  is  fast  be- 
coming famous  as  a  summer  amusement  resort,  having  all  the 
attractions  of  Coney  Island. 

Clason's  Point  - is  at  the  extremity  of  Cornell's  Neck,  which 
was  named  after  its  first  settler,  Thomas  Cornell,  who  came  in 
1643  from  Rhode  Island  with  John  Throckmorton  and  Roger 
Williams.  Cornell  had  emigrated  to  America  with  his  family  from 
the  shire  of  Essex  in  England,  and  had  acquired  from  the  Indians 
a  tract  of  land  lying  just  east  of  the  Bronx  River;  here  he  estab- 
lished a  plantation,  which,  with  that  of  his  neighbor,  Jacob  Jans 
Stoll,  who  had  purchased  Broncksland  from  the  widow  of  Jonas 
Bronck,  formed  the  outpost  of  civilization  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
Amsterdam  along  the  East  River. 

During  the  Indian  massacre  of  1643,  Cornell  escaped  on  a 
vessel  which  had  just  arrived  in  the  nick  of  time.  He  later  re- 
turned to  his  estate  and  received  in  1646  from  the  Dutch  authori- 
ties in  New  Amsterdam  a  patent  confirming  his  purchase,  but  he 
was  again  forced  by  the  Indians  to  abandon  his  property.  After 
this  he  never  more  returned.    His  daughter  Sarah,  who  had  mar- 

119 


120 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


ried  Thomas  Willett,  inherited  the  estate  which  remained  in  the 
possession  of  her  descendants  until  1793.  The  western  section 
was  sold  in  that  year  to  Dominick  Lynch,  a  wealthy  Irishman; 
and  the  eastern  division  to  Isaac  Clason,  after  whom  Clason's  Point 
received  its  name. 

On  the  extreme  end  of  Clason's  Point  stood  until  recently 
the  ruins  of  an  ancient  farmhouse,  once  the  abode  of  Thomas  and 
Sarah  Willett.  The  farmhouse  was  shelled  by  Lord  Howe's  fleet 
as  the  ships  passed  on  their  way  to  Throgg's  Neck,  October,  1776. 

r 


Watson  Mansion 


Many  relics  from  this  old  structure  and  a  part  of  the  original 
Cornell  house  can  be  found  at  the  Clason's  Point  Inn. 

Close  by  is  the  Clason's  Point  Military  Academy,  erected  as  a 
residence  by  Dominick  Lynch.  The  committee  that  designed  the 
American  flag  met  here  before  proceeding  to  Philadelphia.  The 
Lynch  mansion  went  successively  thru  the  hands  of  the  Ludlow 
family,  the  Schieffelins,  and  finally  to  the  Christian  Brothers  of 
the  Catholic  Church  who  converted  it  into  the  Sacred  Heart 
Academy  and  later  gave  it  its  present  name. 

The  quaint  old  homestead  of  the  Wilkins  family  is  located  at 
Screven's  Point,  which  lies  south  of  Unionport.  The  point  was 
named  after  John  Screven,  a  great-nephew  by  marriage  of  the 


CLASON'S  POINT 


121 


Honorable  Gouverneur  Morris.  His  father-in-law  was  Gouverneur 
Morris  Wilkins,  son  of  the  Reverend  Isaac  Wilkins,  who  married 
Isabella  Morris,  the  sister  of  the  statesman  and  half-sister  of 
Lewis  Morris,  the  Signer. 

The  old  Wilkins  farmhouse  famed  as  the  building  in  a  secret 
chamber  of  which  three  loyalist  clergymen,  Rev.  Myles  Cooper, 
president  of  King's  College,  Rev.  Chandler  of  New  Jersey  and  Rev. 
Samuel  Seabury,  rector  of  Saint  Peter's  Church  in  Westchester, 


Ferris  Mansion,  Zerega's  Point 

concealed  themselves  during  the  early  days  of  the  Revolution,  is 
still  standing.  Food  and  drink  were  lowered  to  these  men  thru 
a  hidden  trap  door.  They  finally  escaped  on  the  1st  of  September, 
1776,  under  cover  of  darkness  to  Long  Island. 

The  ground  in  this  vicinity  was  once  occupied  by  the  Siwanoy 
Indians  who  had  erected  a  fortified  castle  here,  whence  the  name 
"Castle  Hill  Neck."  Adrien  Block,  in  his  voyage  of  discovery  in 
1614,  spoke  of  seeing  big  Indian  wigwams  there.  Castle  Hill 
Neck  is  an  elevated  tract  of  land,  sixty  feet  above  the  sea  level, 
and  is  situated  east  of  Cornell's  Neck,  between  Wilkin's,  or  Pugsley, 
and  Westchester  Creeks.   It  was  for  some  time  the  property  of  the 


122 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Cromwells,  descendants  of  John  Cromwell,  a  nephew  of  the  Lord 
Protector  Oliver,  and  was  consequently  known  as  Cromwell's  Neck. 
In  1685  John  and  Elizabeth  Cromwell  exchanged  with  Thomas 
Hunt  of  Grove  Farm  six  acres  of  meadow  land  for  eight  acres  of 
upland  situated  upon  Castle  Neck.  Above  Jerome  Avenue  and 
One  Hundred  Sixty-fifth  Street  is  the  rapidly  decaying  Cromwell 
house.  Nearby  is  Cromwell's  Creek  which  served  to  propel  the 
mill  of  James  Cromwell,  born  in  1752. 

The  oldest  house  in  The  Bronx  is  said  to  be  the  Ferris  Mansion 
at  Zerega's  Point.  This  old  relic  claims  birth  in  1687  and  was 
owned  by  Josiah  Hunt,  the  son  of  Thomas  Hunt,  the  patentee  of 
Hunt's  Point.  The  Grove  Farm  of  Thomas  Hunt  was  sold  in 
1760  to  josiah  Cousten,  who  in  turn  sold  it  fifteen  years  later  to 
John  Ferris,  whose  ancestor  had  received  in  1667  a  patent  from 
Governor  Nicolls  for  a  portion  of  Westchester,  west  of  Annes 
Hoeck.  At  the  extreme  end  of  this  point  stands  "Island  Hall,"  the 
stately  stone  Zerega  Mansion,  dating  from  1823. 

In  the  summer  of  1642,  the  region  of  the  east  side  of  the 
Borough,  known  as  Pelham  Neck,  was  settled  by  Anne  Hutchinson, 
a  widow  with  several  children,  and  Thomas  Collins,  her  son-in-law, 
and  his  family.  They  were  of  English  stock  and  had  fled  from 
New  England  to  escape  the  religious  persecution  of  the  Puritans. 
They  were  the  next  white  settlers  of  the  Borough  after  Jonas 
Bronck. 

Mrs.  Anne  Hutchinson  came  with  her  husband  and  their 
children  from  Lincolnshire,  England,  to  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony 
on  September  18,  1634.  She  was  a  woman  of  kind  heart,  of  fervent 
religious  spirit,  and  of  unusual  intellectual  force  and  ability  so 
that  she  was  characterized  by  a  contemporary,  "The  masterpiece  of 
woman's  wit."  Her  doctrine  that  those  who  possess  faith  are 
above  law,  gained  wide  support  thruout  the  Colony.  The 
Puritans,  fearing  that  such  preaching  would  lead  to  licentiousness, 
as  it  later  did  in  the  case  of  Captain  John  Underhill  who  was  found 
guilty  of  adultery,  banished  Mrs.  Hutchinson  and  her  adherents. 
In  1638  she  withdrew  with  her  family  and  followers  to  Roger 
Williams's  settlement  on  the  Isle  of  Aquidneck  (now  Rhode  Island), 
where  they  founded  Portsmouth. 

Upon  the  death  of  her  husband,  four  years  later,  Mrs.  Hutch- 
inson and  her  party  came  to  Flushing,  Long  Island,  whence  after  a 
brief  stay  she  repaired  to  Pelham  Neck.   This  region  was  for  a  time 


CLASON'S  POINT 


123 


known  as  "Annes  Hoeck,"  or  Ann's  Neck.  The  Hutchinson  River 
perpetuates  her  name.  Here  they  erected  a  cabin  upon  the  rising 
ground  of  the  famous  "Split  Rock." 

A  few  months  later,  Throgg's  Neck  (named  by  the  Indians 
Quinnahung) ,  sometimes  styled  in  old  records  "Frog's  Point," 
was  settled  by  John  Throckmorton  (or  Throgmorton)  and  thirty- 
five  Baptist  families,  who,  like  the  Hutchinsons,*had  been  driven 
from  Rhode  Island  because  of  religious  persecution.    In  granting 


Split  Rock,  Pelham  Bay  Park 


them  a  patent  in  October,  1643,  the  Dutch  authorities  in  New 
Amsterdam  referred  to  it  as  Vriedelandt,  or  "Land  of  peace." 

In  1643  the  Weckquaesgeek  Indians,  fleeing  before  a  raid  of 
their  dreaded  enemies,  the  Mohawks  of  the  north,  abandoned  their 
village  in  Westchester  County  and  came  in  a  miserable  condition 
to  Pavonia  on  Manhattan  Island.  Director  Kieft,  perhaps  seeing 
an  opportunity  of  obtaining  easy  possession  of  the  lands  inhabited 
by  the  Indians,  ordered  that  they  be  surprised  at  night  and  merci- 
lessly massacred.  This  cruel  act  aroused  the  neighboring  tribes  to 
such  implacable  fury  that  they  wildly  set  about  to  exterminate  all 
who  intruded  upon  their  hunting  grounds.  Westchester  was  laid 
waste. 


124 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


A  party  of  Indians  came  to  Mrs.  Hutchinson  on  a  friendly 
visit,  as  was  their  wont.  After  discoursing  with  her  they  asked 
that  she  tie  up  her  dogs  lest  they  bite.  She  did  not  suspect  the 
Indians'  guile  and  granted  their  request;  whereupon  they  gave 
vent  to  the  rancor  against  the  whites  burning  in  their  hearts.  They 
brutally  butchered  Mrs.  Hutchinson  and  her  family,  sparing  only 
her  eight-year-old  daughter  Frances,  whom  they  took  captive. 
Another  daughter,  just  as  she  was  about  to  escape  over  a  hedge, 
was  seized  by  the  hair  and  heartlessly  put  to  death.  In  all,  sixteen 
persons  were  murdered,  while  Throckmorton  and  his  followers 


Massacre  of  Anne  Hutchinson  Colony 


escaped  on  a  vessel  which  had  just  then  so  opportunely  arrived. 
The  Indians  then  placed  all  the  cattle  into  the  houses  and  applied 
the  torch  to  them. 

Mrs.  Hutchinson's  old  Puritan  acquaintance  took  her  tragic 
death  as  evidences  of  Divine  wrath  against  the  woman's  heresies. 
One  of  them,  remarking  that  outrages  by  the  Indians  were  rare, 
says,  "God's  hand  is  the  more  apparently  seen  herein  to  pick  out 
this  woeful  woman  to  make  her  an  unheard-of  heavy  example  of 
their  cruelty  above  others." 

Four  years  after  the  massacre,  a  treaty  of  peace  was  concluded 
between  the  Dutch  and  the  Indians,  one  of  the  conditions  of  which 
was  that  Mrs.  Hutchinson's  daughter  be  surrendered  and  sent  to 
her  friends  in  Boston.  Long  association  with  the  Indians  had  en- 
deared them  to  her;  she  had  forgotten  her  own  language,  and  she 


CLASON'S  POINT 


125 


was  loath  to  forsake  them.  After  much  pleading  she  was  finally 
prevailed  upon  to  leave  them.  She  became  reconciled,  married 
John  Cole  in  1651,  and  left  descendants. 

In  commemoration  of  Anne  Hutchinson's  massacre  the  Daugh- 
ters of  American  Dames  have  erected  a  bronze  tablet  near  the 
spot  where  the  intrepid  Colonists  lost  their  lives,  which  bears  this 
inscription : 

Anne  Hutchinson,  banished  from  the  Massachusetts  colony 

in  1638  because  of  her  devotion  to  religious  liberty. 
This  courageous  woman  sought  freedom  from  persecution 

in  New  Netherland. 
Near  this  rock  in  1643  she  and  her  household  were  massacred 
by  Indians. 


CHAPTER  XV 


THROGG'S  NECK 

"The  Lexington  of  Westchester" — How  American  Patriots  Repulsed  the 
Enemy  at  Throgg's  Neck — Colonel  John  Glover,  the  Hero  of  Pell's  Point, 
Who  Saved  Washington  from  Disastrous  Defeat — "Spy  Oak,"  from  Whose 
branches  a  Red-Coat  was  Hanged. 

the  extreme  end  of  Throgg's  Neck  is  Fort  Schuyler, 
j^i^^l^l  one  of  "Uncle  Sam's"  fortifications  on  Long  Island 
Sound.  The  fort  was  begun  in  1833  and  completed  in 
1856.  It  was  equipped  with  a  battery  of  twelve-inch 
mortars,  as  well  as  several  disappearing  guns.  Or. 
the  opposite  shore  is  Fort  Totten,  on  Willett's  Point,  the  Torpedo 
and  Submarine  Training  Station. 

The  fort  has  proved  to  be  too  old  fashioned  to  be  of  further 
use,  and  reliance  for  attack  and  defence  has  been  placed  in  the 
more  modern  fortifications  at  the  eastern  entrance  of  the  Sound 
at  Fisher's  Island.  In  the  summer  of  1911  the  garrison  was  with- 
drawn from  Fort  Schuyler,  and  the  fort  was  placed  in  charge  of  a 
sergeant  and  a  small  body  of  men. 

Near  Cherry  Point,  on  Throgg's  Neck,  was  the  palatial  resi- 
dence of  Governor  E.  D.  Morgan. 

Almost  every  inch  of  ground  hereabouts  has  its  historic  points. 
During  the  Revolution  it  was  the  hotbed  of  Tories  and  the  center 
of  many  a  bloody  conflict. 

Following  the  repulse  of  General  Howe's  formidable  force  at 
the  battle  of  Harlem  Heights  on  September  16th,  1776,  Washing- 
ton withdrew  his  men  to  the  commanding  hills  on  the  upper  end  of 
Manhattan  Island,  where  he  believed  that  in  the  event  of  a  renewal 
of  hostilities  he  would  be  better  equipped  to  defend  his  position 
with  his  small  force. 

While  Washington  was  busy  fortifying  Fort  Washington, 
Howe  conceived  the  idea  that  by  getting  in  the  rear  of  the  Ameri- 
can army  and  cutting  off  their  supplies,  which  were  chiefly  derived 
from  the  east,  he  would  have  them  at  his  mercy  and  thus  bring 
the  rebellion  to  a  summary  end. 

126 


THROGG'S  NECK 


127 


Detaching  part  of  the  troops  from  the  main  army,  Howe  sent 
them  over  to  the  east  side  of  Harlem,  where  they  were  put  aboard 
boats  and  transported  to  Throgg's  Neck.  Simultaneously  with 
this  movement  a  squadron  of  ships  filled  with  another  army  were 
sent  up  the  Hudson  River,  under  cover  of  darkness,  with  instruc- 
tions to  cooperate  with  the  Throgg's  Neck  division,  and  by  a  com- 
bined rear  attack  drive  the  rebels  back  to  Manhattan. 

To  prevent  Washington  from  discovering  the  ruse,  Howe  kept 
a  large  force  in  front  of  the  American  trenches.  Theoretically, 
the  coup  Howe  had  planned  was  worthy  of  his  genius,  but,  before 
it  could  be  put  into  operation  Washington  had  moved  his  force  to 
White  Plains. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  October  12,  1776,  four  thousand 
British  troops  under  General  Howe  landed  with  artillery  at 
Throgg's  Neck,  but,  unfortunately  for  them,  their  approach  had 
been  observed  by  General  Heath,  who,  quick  to  perceive  the  signifi- 
cance of  this  move  lost  no  time  in  dispatching  a  courier  with  the 
intelligence  to  General  Washington.  An  alarm  was  immediately 
sounded  and  all  available  troops  were  rushed  to  the  scene  in  order 
to  check  the  enemy's  advance. 

Throgg's  Neck  was  separated  from  the  mainland  by  a  narrow 
creek  and  a  marsh,  and,  at  high  tide,  was  surrounded  by  water.  A 
bridge  connecting  with  an  old  causeway  had  to  be  crossed  to  reach 
the  mainland. 

Before  the  enemy  reached  this  spot  the  American  patriots 
had  ripped  up  the  planking  of  the  bridge  and  a  company  of  Colonel 
Hand's  picked  Riflemen  had  posted  themselves  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  causeway  and  began  to  pour  a  hot  fire  into  the  advancing 
ranks.  They  were  soon  reinforced  by  Colonel  Prescott,  of  Bunker 
Hill  fame,  with  his  regiment,  and  Lieutenant  Bryant  of  the  Artil- 
lery with  a  three-pounder. 

Checked  at  this  pass,  the  British  moved  toward  the  head  of 
the  creek ;  here,  too,  they  found  the  Americans  in  possession  of  the 
ford.  Again  and  again  they  attempted  to  cross,  but  the  unerring 
aim  of  the  American  riflemen  was  so  deadly  and  persistent  that 
they  finally  abandoned  the  idea  of  crossing.  This  repulse  was 
known  as  the  "Lexington  of  Westchester."  It  took  place  at  the 
bridge  where  today  the  trolley  crosses  Westchester  Creek  just  east 
of  Westchester  Square. 

When  Washington  arrived  some  hours  later  the  British  had 


128 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


returned  to  the  Neck,  and,  after  throwing  up  earthworks,  encamped. 
For  six  days  Howe's  Army  remained  inactive  at  Throgg's  Neck. 
When  he  finally  got  his  army  in  motion,  the  Americans  had  with- 
drawn to  White  Plains,  a  more  strategic  position.  Howe's  inac- 
tivity had  lost  him  a  golden  opportunity. 

On  the  14th  of  October  the  Americans  held  a  council  of  war 
at  Kingsbridge,  at  the  quarters  of  General  Lee,  who  arrived  that 
day  from  the  South. 

It  was  decided  that  it  would  be  impracticable  to  blockade  the 
Sound  or  even  the  North  River.  The  only  method  of  preventing 
the  British  from  cutting  off  Washington's  communication  with  the 
country  was  an  immediate  northern  movement  towards  the  strong 
grounds  in  the  upper  part  of  Westchester  County.  Fort  Wash- 
ington, however,  in  compliance  with  the  wishes  of  the  Continental 
Congress,  was  to  be  maintained  as  long  as  possible. 

On  the  18th  the  whole  British  army  was  in  motion.  Lord 
Howe  re-embarked  part  of  his  troops  in  flatboats,  crossed  East- 
chester  Bay,  and  landed  on  Pell's  Point  (now  Pelham  Bay  Park) 
at  the  north  of  the  Hutchinson  River.  Here  he  was  joined  in  a 
few  hours  by  the  main  body,  and  proceeded  thru  the  manor  of 
Pelham,  still  with  the  intention  of  getting  above  Washington's 
Army.  Washington,  believing  that  Howe  was  planning  an  attack 
upon  Morrisania,  where  the  Americans  had  a  strong  outpost,  or- 
dered Heath  and  his  troops  to  that  position  to  watch  the  enemy; 
thus  leaving  the  British  free  to  capture  and  destroy  the  scattered 
American  army.  But  in  their  march  the  British  were  waylaid 
and  harassed  from  behind  stone  walls  by  the  brigade  under  the 
command  of  Colonel  John  Glover. 

This  brigade  was  composed  of  the  regiments  of  Colonels  Shep- 
ard,  Read  and  Baldwin,  as  well  as  his  own  Marblehead,  Massachu- 
setts, regiment  which  had  played  so  important  a  part  in  skillfully 
manning  and  rowing  the  boats  in  the  retreat  from  Long  Island, 
and  later  when  Washington  took  his  army  across  the  Delaware  and 
surprised  the  Hessians  at  Trenton.  Colonel  Glover's  regiment  was 
composed  almost  wholly  of  fishermen,  and  was  therefore  styled 
the  "Amphibious  Regiment."  They  were  hardy,  adroit  and 
weather-proof ;  fresh  and  full  of  spirit ;  and,  as  they  marched 
briskly  along  the  line  with  alert  and  cheery  aspect,  they  inspired 
the  other  soldiers  with  enthusiasm. 

The  British  made  their  landing  under  cover  of  darkness. 


THROGG'S  NECK 


128 


When  Glover  discovered  them  he  immediately  notified  Lee  at  Valen- 
tine's Hill;  but  receiving  neither  orders  nor  support,  he  set  about 
to  check  the  British  on  his  own  account  with  his  meager  brigade. 
He  stationed  the  various  regiments  under  his  command  behind  stone 
fences  along  either  side  of  the  road  leading  to  City  Island.  He 
posted  his  own  regiment  on  the  Heights  overlooking  the  Hutchin- 
son River,  under  command  of  Captain  Curtis. 

As  the  British  advance  guard  came  up  to  the  City  Island  Road, 
Glover  met  them  with  an  advance  guard  of  forty-  men.  After 
an  interchange  of  shots,  the  patriots,  outnumbered  by  the  enemy, 
retreated  along  the  road.  The  British  pursued  them  but  were  soon 
routed  by  Read's  regiment  which  opened  fire  upon  them  from  be- 
hind a  stone  fence.  The  enemy  returned  with  a  larger  force,  but 
were  again  repulsed  by  Read's  men.  Read  now  withdrew  beyond 
Shepard's  regiment  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  road. 

The  British  pursued  the  retiring  regiment  in  solid  columns, 
but  were  thrown  into  confusion  by  Shepard's  men  who  poured 
several  volleys  upon  the  enemy  from  behind  the  stone  fence.  The 
Americans  withdrew  behind  Baldwin's  regiment.  They  kept  up 
their  sharp  fire  upon  the  British,  but  were  finally  compelled  to  re- 
treat by  the  overwhelming  numbers  of  the  enemy.  The  Battle  of 
Pell's  Point  kept  up  for  practically  all  day,  but  the  handful  of 
Americans  were  no  match  for  the  British  forces.  The  Americans 
lost  only  six  killed  and  thirteen  wounded;  while  the  British  loss 
was  in  the  neighborhood  of  one  thousand  killed  and  wounded. 

"After  fighting  all  day  without  victuals  or  drink,"  writes  Col. 
Glover,  "we  lay  as  a  picquet  all  night,  the  heavens  over  us  and 
the  earth  under  us,  which  was  all  we  had,  after  having  left  our 
baggage  at  the  old  encampment  we  left  in  the  morning." 

The  next  day  they  were  forced  to  continue  the  retreat  until 
they  reached  Mile  Square,  west  of  the  Bronx  River.  Their  hunger 
and  fatigue  were  offset  by  the  feeling  that  they  had  done  a  valuable 
service  to  their  country  by  delaying  Howe  and  enabling  Wash- 
ington to  reach  White  Plains.  Howe  reached  the  coveted  place 
at  last  but  it  was  too  late  for  his  purpose  of  intercepting  Washing- 
ton in  his  march  northward.  The  gallantry  of  Glover  and  his  men 
saved  the  day. 

Both  Washington  and  General  Lee  issued  public  thanks  to 
Col.  Glover  and  the  officers  and  soldiers  who  were  with  him  in  this 
skirmish,  for  their  merit  and  good  behavior. 


130 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Mile  Square,  Oct.  19,  1776. 

Gen'l  Lee  returns  his  warmest  thanks  to  Colonel  Glover  and  the  Brigade 
under  his  command,  not  only  for  their  gallant  behaviour  yesterday,  but  for 
their  prudent,  cool,  orderly  and  soldierly  conduct  in  all  respects.    .    .  ." 

Washington  sent  the  following: 

General  Orders 

Headquarters,  Oct.  21,  1776. 
The  hurried  situation  of  the  General  the  last  two  days  having  prevented 
him  from  paying  that  attention  to  Colonel  Glover  and  the  officers  and  soldiers 
who  were  with  him  in  the  skirmish  on  Friday  last,  their  merit  and  good 
behavior  deserved,  he  flatters  himself  that  his  thanks  tho  delayed  will 
nevertheless  be  acceptable  to  them  as  they  are  offered  with  great  sincerity 
and  cordiality. 

On  a  gigantic  boulder  near  the  new  bridge  that  spans  the 
waters  to  City  Island  a  fitting  memorial  was  erected  by  the  Bronx 
Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution.  The  tablet 
reads : 

GLOVER'S  ROCK 


In    Memory   of   the   550  Patriots 
who,  led  by  col.  john  glover,  held 
Gen.  Howe's  Army  in  check  at  the 
BATTLE  OF  PELL'S  POINT 
October  18,  1776, 
Thus  aiding  Washington  in  his 
Retreat  to  White  Plains 

fame  is  the  perfume  of  heroic  deeds 

erected  by  bronx  chapter  of  mount  vernon,  n.  y. 
daughters  of  the  american  revolution 

OCTOBER  18,  1901. 

On  Pelham  Road,  midway  between  Westchester  and  Pelham, 
stands  a  mammoth  oak  tree  that  has  been  known  since  the  days 
of  the  Continental  army  as  "Spy  Oak,"  said  to  be  the  largest  of 
its  kind  east  of  the  Rockies. 

It  is  related  that  from  one  of  its  lower  branches  soldiers  of 
George  Washington's  forces  hanged  a  British  red-coat  they  had 
caught  on  a  spying  expedition,  and  even  to  this  day  it  is  averred 
that  his  spirit  patrols  the  roadway  near  the  scene  of  his  ignomini- 


THROGG'S  NECK 


131 


ous  death  at  frequent  intervals,  and  that  his  spectral  form,  its 
haughty  carriage  made  more  impressive  by  its  military  garb  of 
long  coat  and  heavy  cape,  may  be  seen  particularly  on  nights  when 
the  moon  is  full  and  unhidden. 

Standing  well  back  from  Pelham  Road,  north  of  the  "Spy 


Spy  Oak,  Pelham  Road 


Oak"  stands  the  quaint  Paul  homestead,  said  to  have  been  built 
during  the  early  days  of  the  Revolution. 

Between  Throgg's  Neck  and  City  Island  are  several  islets, 
bared  at  low  tide,  upon  one  of  which  is  a  Government  lighthouse.. 
These  are  called  the  "Devil's  Stepping  Stones." 

Among  the  families  having  large  estates  on  Throgg's  Neck  are 
the  Havemeyers,  the  Huntingtons,  the  Morrises,  the  Browns,  the 
Adees,  the  Costers,  the  Turnbulls,  and  the  Jacksons.  Upon  the 
Huntington  estate  is  a  magnificent  cedar  of  Lebanon,  planted  by 


132  THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 

Philip  Livingston,  about  1790.  William  H.  Harrison,  the  ninth 
President  of  the  United  States,  once  had  a  temporary  residence  on 
Throgg's  Neck. 


Paul  Homestead 


CHAPTER  XVI 


CITY  ISLAND  AND  EASTCHESTER 

The  Blacksmith  Who  Refused  to  Shoe  a  Horse  on  Sunday — Scenes  That  Figure 
in  the  Fight  for  Independence — President  John  Adams  in  The  Bronx. 

TTY  ISLAND  is  a  very  delightful  village,  lying  off  Rod- 
man's Neck,  and  comprises  230  acres.    Until  recently 
it  was  connected  with  the  mainland  with  a  wooden 
bridge,  which  originally  spanned  the  Harlem  River, 
and  some  of  the  timbers  of  which  had  been  taken  from 
the  old  frigate  North  Carolina.    This  antique  bridge  was  replaced 
by  the  present  steel  structure,  which  cost  $200,000,  erected  in  1898, 
and  opened  to  the  public  July  4th,  1901, 

In  the  early  days  City  Island  was  known  as  Minnewits,  or 
Great  Minnefords,  Island,  probably  after  Peter  Minuits,  the  Dutch 
Governor  and  purchaser  of  Manhattan  Island.  It  was  a  part  of 
Pelham  Manor,  and  was  purchased  from  Thomas  Pell  by  John 
Smith  of  Brooklyn.  On  June  19,  1761,  the  island  came  into  the 
possession  of  Benjamin  Palmer,  who  built  the  Free  Bridge  at 
Spuyten  Duyvil. 

In  1761  the  inhabitants  of  the  island  launched  a  scheme  to 
build  a  city  which  would  surpass  New  York — whence  the  name 
City  Island.  Several  ferries  were  established  to  ply  between 
the  mainland  and  the  island  in  order  to  further  this  project.  The 
plan  was  checked  by  the  Revolution,  but  was  revived  in  1790. 
The  island  was  cut  up  into  4,500  lots  of  one  hundred  by  twenty-five 
feet,  which  were  sold  at  ten  pounds  each.  In  1818  and  in  1819 
Nicholas  Haight,  Joshua  Hustace  and  George  W.  Horton  owned 
nearly  all  of  the  island  and  Rodman's  Neck. 

City  Island  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  place  in  America 
where  oyster  culture  was  commenced.  The  old  wooden  bridge  was 
always  crowded  on  Sunday  afternoon  with  anglers  who  found 
fishing  in  the  water  below  very  fruitful.  City  Island  is  also  noted 
as  a  boat-building  resort,  and  a  laying-up  place  for  racing  craft, 
particularly  of  cup  defenders  of  international  fame. 

133 


134 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Many  residents  of  Manhattan  are  attracted  to  City  Island 
on  Sundays  and  holidays  by  the  facilities  for  bathing,  rowing  and 
fishing.  Many  city  dwellers  spend  the  summer  on  the  island  in 
tents,  while  numerous  clubs  have  their  summer  camps  here. 

City  Island  is  reached  by  train  on  the  Suburban  branch  of  the 
New  York,  New  Haven,  and  Hartford  Railroad  to  Bartow  Sta- 
tion.   Up  to  very  recently  there  was  an  old  fashioned  bob-tailed 


Old  City  Island  Bridge 

horsecar  which  took  passengers  from  the  railroad  station  to  Mar- 
shall's Corners  at  the  end  of  Rodman's  Neck  for  one  fare  of  five 
cents,  and  to  the  end  of  the  island,  for  another.  This  was  replaced 
in  1910  by  an  electric  monorail,  which  has  not  proved  very  suc- 
cessful. 

To  the  east  of  City  Island  lies  Hart's  Island,  at  one  time  owned 
by  Oliver  De  Lancey,  and  later  it  passed  into  the  possession  of  the 
Haights  and  Rodmans,  then  into  the  hands  of  John  Hunter,  and 
finally  into  the  City  of  New  York.    To  the  north  is  High  Island, 


CITY  ISLAND  AND  EASTCHESTER 


135 


and  nearby  are  several  rocky  islets,  called  Rat  Island,  the  Chim- 
ney Sweeps,  the  Blauzes  and  Goose  Island. 

One  of  the  landmarks  of  City  Island  is  the  Horton  homestead, 
the  oldest  house  on  the  island.  Most  of  City  Island  was  once  com- 
prised of  the  Horton  Farm. 

The  "Macedonian  Hotel"  is  another  landmark  which  attracts 
wide  attention.  It  is  supposed  to  have  been  formed  from  part 
of  the  hulk  of  the  English  frigate  Macedonian,  which  had  been 
captured  in  the  War  of  1812  by  Commodore  Decatur. 

The  inscription  reads:  This  house  is  the  remains  of  the  Eng- 
lish Frigate  "Macedonian,"  captured  on  Sunday,  October  25th, 
1812,  by  the  United  States  Frigate  "United  States"  commanded 
by  Capt.  Stephen  Decatur,  U.  S.  N.  The  action  ivas  fought  in 
hat.  24°  N.,  Long.  29°  30'  W.,  that  is  about  600  miles  N.  W.  of  the 
Cape  de  Verde  Islands  off  the  W.  coast  of  Africa  and  toived  to 
Cotvbay  in  187  k- 

Mr.  Stephen  Jenkins  in  his  Story  of  The  Bronx  cites  a  state- 
ment from  the  United  States  Naval  Academy,  by  Park  Benjamin, 
to  the  effect  that,  while  the  house  is  not  the  remains  of  the  original 
British  Macedonian,  it  is  the  remains  of  a  second  ship  of  that 
name,  launched  at  Gosport,  Virginia,  in  1836,  rebuilt  at  Brooklyn 
in  1852,  and  broken  up  in  1874,  at  Cow  Bay,  Long  Island. 

The  picturesque  old  town  of  Eastchester  writh  its  ancient  shade 
trees  and  interesting  old  houses,  some  of  which  date  back  to  Col- 
onial days,  is  undeniably  rich  in  historic  memories.  On  the  site 
of  the  old  Joseph  Morgan  residence  was  once  located  a  large  In- 
dian settlement.  Evidences  of  Indian  occupation  are  found  to  this 
day  in  the  forms  'of  arrow-heads,  shell  heaps  and  stone  hatchets. 
The  Siwanoys  had  a  fort  on  the  hill  directly  in  back  of  the  Fowler 
mansion.  On  this  hill  the  early  settlers  erected  in  1675,  a  "Gen- 
eral Fort"  for  mutual  protection.  On  the  right  of  the  road  may 
be  seen  Odell's  barns  dating  from  Revolutionary  days. 

Eastchester  was  included  in  Pell's  purchase  of  1654.  Pell 
granted,  on  June  24,  1664,  to  James  Eustis,  Philip  Pinckney,  John 
Tompkins,  Moses  Hoit,  Samuel  Drake,  Andrew  Ward,  Walter  Lan- 
caster, Nathaniel  Tompkins,  and  Samuel  Ward,  "to  the  number  of 
ten  families,  to  settle  down  at  Hutchinson's,  that  is  where  the  house 
stood  at  the  meadows  and  uplands,  to  Hutchinson's  River."  These 
ten  families  had  migrated  hither  from  Fairfield,  Connecticut.  The 
settlement  became  known  as  the  "Ten  Farms,"  and  later,  East- 


136 


THE  BOROUGn  OF  THE  BRONX 


Chester.  In  1666  the  settlers  purchased  more  land  from  the  In- 
dians. Among  the  sachems  who  signed  the  deed  was  Annhooke,* 
the  slayer  of  Mrs.  Anne  Hutchinson.  On  March  9th,  1667,  Gov- 
ernor Nicolls  granted  the  settlers  a  confirmatory  patent. 

The  famous  old  St.  Paul's  Church  has  an  interesting  past. 
It  was  built  in  1765  to  replace  one  erected  in  1699  which  had  been 
destroyed  by  fire.  During  the  Revolution,  St.  Paul's  was  used  by 
the  British  at  various  times  as  a  stable  and  as  a  hospital.  After 
the  war  it  served  as  a  Court  of  Justice,  and  Aaron  Burr,  who 
fought  Alexander  Hamilton  in  a  duel,  pleaded  many  cases  here. 
The  Church-yard  contains  some  6,000  bodies,  the  oldest  head-stone 
being  that  of  "M.  V.  D."  who  died  February  15,  1704.  Some  of 
the  prominent  families  interred  there  are — Pinckneys,  Fowlers, 
Drakes,  Hunts,  Odells,  Underhills,  Valentines,  Sherwoods  and 
others  as  famous. 

The  lawn  opposite  St.  Paul's  was  used  as  the  Colonial  village 
green  and  here  also  stood  the  first  church.  It  is  said  that  between 
the  group  of  locust  trees,  still  standing,  were  the  village  stocks 
where  offenders  were  punished. 

The  Vincent-Halsey  House  on  Columbia  Avenue  is  another 
old  landmark  around  which  is  woven  many  an  interesting  tale. 
The  Vincents  were  the  village  blacksmiths,  and,  being  devout 
Christians  would  under  no  circumstances  shoe  a  horse  on  Sunday. 
Adherence  to  this  principle  caused  the  death  of  one  of  the  black- 
smiths, Gilbert  Vincent.  A  French  officer  in  the  Continental  army 
who  had  been  despatched  on  some  important  business  lost  a  shoe 
of  his  spirited  mount  as  he  was  passing  thru  the  village.  The 
officer  led  the  horse  to  the  Vincents'  smithery  but  he  was  refused 
the  shoe  on  the  ground  that  such  labor  on  the  Sabbath  was  a 
desecration.  Impatient  to  get  away,  and  angered  at  what  he  con- 
sidered unpatriotic  obstinacy  and  unfriendliness  to  the  cause,  the 
officer  drew  his  sword  and  struck  the  pious  blacksmith  to  the 
ground.  This  cold-blooded  murder  so  incensed  Elijah  Vincent,  the 
brother  of  the  slain  man,  that  he  promptly  obtained  a  commission 
in  the  British  army  and  became  the  most  vindictive  and  uncom- 
promising enemy  the  patriots  had  in  the  whole  territory.  Nothing 

*  It  was  customary  among  the  Indians  for  the  chief  of  the  tribe  to  assume 
the  name  of  some  noted  victim  of  his  prowess  in  order  to  appease  the  dead 
and  to  become  endowed  with  the  nobler  qualities  of  the  slain. 


CITY  ISLAND  AND  EASTCHESTER 


137 


was  considered  safe  from  him  and  his  associates,  not  even  the 
old  bell,  the  Bible  and  the  prayer-book  which  had  been  presented 
to  St.  Paul's  Church  by  Queen  Anne.  To  safeguard  these  from  the 
profaning  hands  of  the  marauding  soldiery,  which  held  nothing 
sacred,  they  were  buried  in  the  ground  adjoining  the  edifice,  where 
they  remained  until  the  close  of  the  war.    The  Vincents  moved 


St.  Paul's  Church,  Eastchester 


away  when  the  British  evacuated  New  York,  and  Col.  W.  S.  Smith 
of  the  thirteenth  Massachusetts  Regiment,  a  distinguished  officer 
of  the  Revolution  and  an  aide  of  the  staff  of  Washington,  moved 
into  the  mansion. 

Col.  Smith  was  a  son-in-law  of  John  Adams,  and  had  been 
secretary  of  the  American  legation  at  London  when  his  father-in- 
law  served  there  as  the  first  minister  accredited  to  the  Court  of 
St.  James  by  the  young  Republic.  Subsequently  he  was  United 
States  Marshal  for  New  York,  a  member  of  Congress  from  this 


138 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


city,  from  1813  to  1816,  President  of  the  New  York  Order  of 
the  Cincinnati. 

The  details  of  the  celebrated  Miranda  expedition,  in  which  he 
and  his  son  were  involved  and  which  caused  a  profound  stir  in  the 
country  at  the  time,  it  is  believed,  were  hatched  in  the  Halsey 
mansion  while  he  was  its  tenant, — altho  on  this  point  there  is 
some  doubt  among  historians. 

With  the  outbreak  of  yellow  fever  in  Philadelphia,  then  the 
nation's  capital,  President  Adams  and  his  family  accepted  the  in- 
vitation of  Col.  Smith  and  his  wife,  Abigail  Adams,  to  make  their 
home  with  them  in  the  Bronx  mansion.  During  this  period  the 
Halsey  homestead,  being  the  residence  and  office  of  the  country's 
Chief  Executive,  was  the  center  of  the  new  Republic's  official  and 
social  life.  In  the  old  library  of  the*  mansion,  which  was  assigned 
to  the  President  as  an  office,  he  dictated  the  policy  of  the  Govern- 
ment and  there  indited  a  number  of  important  papers.  Believing 
that  the  fever  which  destroyed  thousands  in  Philadelphia  would 
not  abate  sufficiently  to  make  it  safe  for  him  to  venture  there  for 
the  opening  of  Congress,  he  urged  that  the  session  be  held  in  New 
York.  It  would  be  more  convenient  for  him,  he  said,  to  keep  in 
touch  with  its  deliberations  from  the  Halsey  mansion  than  would 
be  possible  if  the  session  convened  in  the  City  of  Brotherly  Love. 
The  following  is  one  of  his  letters  to  Secretary  of  State  Pickering, 
directing  him  how  to  forward  the  mails  to  him  at  the  mansion : 

East  Chester,  12th  of  October,  1797. 

To  T.  Pickering,  Sec.  of  State. 

Dear  Sir:  I  arrived  here  at  Col.  Smith's  last  night  with  my  family  and 
I  shall  make  this  house  my  home  until  we  can  go  to  Philadelphia  with 
safety.  ...  If  you  address  your  letters  to  me  at  East  Chester  and 
recommend  them  to  the  care  of  my  son,  Charles  Adams,  Esq.,  at  New  York, 
I  shall  get  them  without  much  loss  of  time,  but  if  a  mail  could  be  made  up 
for  East  Chester  they  might  come  sooner.  I  know  not  whether  this  can  be 
done  without  appointing  a  postmaster  at  this  place,  and  I  know  of  no  one 
to  recommend.  I  shall  divide  my  time  between  New  York  and  East  Chester 
till  the  meeting  of  Congress. 

With  great  regards,  etc. 

John  Adams. 

By  the  friends  of  the  Adams  family  it  was  considered  a 
singular  coincidence  that  years  after  they  had  left  the  Halsey 
mansion  the  body  of  George  Washington  Adams,  son  of  President 


CITY  ISLAND  AND  EASTCHESTER 


139 


John  Quincy  Adams  and  grandson  of  President  John  Adams,  should 
have  drifted  ashore  on  the  Eastchester  Creek,  close  to  the  old 
manse,  following  a  drowning  accident  in  1829.  In  appreciation 
of  the  good  offices  of  one  of  the  wardens  of  St.  Paul's  Church  who 
recovered  the  body,  Mrs.  John  Quincy  Adams,  mother  of  the 
youth,  presented  a  silver  loving-cup  to  the  church,  which  treasures 
it  to  this  day  as  among  its  most  precious  heirlooms. 

Of  late  years  the  Halsey  mansion  has  been  the  subject  of  in- 
creasing patriotic  interest  to  historians  and  students  of  Colonial 


Old  Reid's  Mill,  Eastchester 


times,  in  corresponding  proportion  to  the  steady  disappearance  of 
those  buildings  that  have  Revolutionary  associations. 

Another  notable  landmark  in  Eastchester  was  the  old  Guion 
inn,  a  Revolutionary  tavern  erected  in  1720  where  Washington  once 
stopped  and  mentioned  in  his  diary  that  the  roads  were  "uncom- 
monly rough  and  stony."  It  was  here  that  Governor  George  Clin- 
ton assembled  the  State  Council  after  the  evacuation  of  New  York. 
Among  the  existing  relics  of  the  past  in  Eastchester  are  the  old 
Crawford  house,  opposite  St.  Paul's  Church,  an  ancient  tavern  of 
Revolutionary  days ;  the  old  Groshon  residence  once  the  home  of  a 
Huguenot  family,  "Grosjean ;"  Old  Point  Comfort,  a  well-known 


140 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


inn  of  early  days,  recently  rebuilt;  and  the  antique  Reid  home- 
stead, at  the  foot  of  Mill  Lane,  Eastchester  Creek,  opposite  the 
site  of  the  old  Reid's  mill,  which  was  erected  in  1739,  by  Thomas 
Shute  and  Joseph  Stanton,  and  which  came  into  the  possession  of 
John  Reid,  a  Scotchman. 

Eastchester,  tho  still  a  rural  community,  is  falling  in  line 
with  the  development  of  the  other  sections  of  the  Borough.  The 
Boston  Post  Road  is  being  made  into  a  State  road;  while  the  Bos- 
ton and  Westchester  Railroad  will  help  materially  to  bring  about 
a  rapid  growth  of  the  town.  Crossing  the  Boston  Post  Road,  is 
Rattlesnake  Brook,  which  bears  testimony  to  the  abundance  of 
reptiles  in  this  region.  The  stream  is  dammed  to  the  east  of  the 
road,  forming  Holler's  Pond,  from  which  ice  is  cut  to  supply  the 
neighborhood.  About  a  mile  from  the  Boston  Road  there  is  a 
lane  leading  to  the  vast  stretches  of  salt  meadows  of  Eastchester 
Creek. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


WEST  FARMS 

The  Homes  of  Notable  Men:  Foxhurst,  Brightside,  Sunnyside — The  Quaint 
Presbyterian  Church  at  the  Graves  Where  Heroes  Lie  Buried — The  Draft 
Riots  During  the  Civil  War — "Wishing  Rock,"  Where  the  Algonquin 
Braves  Wooed  the  Fair  Stockbridge  Maids. 

Iggp^gvjlHE  town  of  West  Farms  was  formed  from  the  town 
l^'Uj;l7  °*  Westchester,  by  an  Act  of  Assembly  May  13th,  1846. 
Dfliraiipfl^  ^  mcmc'es  the  following  villages:  Fordham,  Williams- 
'.<&»;_  vB> '    bridge.    Tremont.     Fairmount,    Belmont,  Monterey. 

Mount  Eden,  Mount  Hope,  and  Woodstock.  Morrisania 
was  originally  a  part  of  West  Farms,  but  on  December  7,  1855,  it 
was  formed  into  a  separate  township.  In  1874,  it  was  annexed  to 
New  York  City.  All  the  villages  now  form  a  part  of  the  Twenty- 
third  and  Twenty-fourth  Wards. 

Many  quaint  and  interesting  memories  linger  about  West 
Farms  of  the  old  days.  The  old  Hunt  inn,  better  known  as  the 
"Fox  Farm  House,"  which  stood  on  the  west  side  of  West  Farms 
Road  near  One  Hundred  Sixty-seventh  Street'  was  until  destroyed 
by  fire  on  Easter  Sunday,  1892,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  pic- 
turesque dwellings  in  West  Farms,  if  not  in  the  Borough.  Many 
interesting  relics  were  found  in  its  walls.  It  was  erected  in  1666 
and  stood  on  the  large  tract  of  land  owned  by  Edward  Jessup  and 
John  Richardson,  whose  daughters  married  Thomas  Hunt,  Jr.,  and 
Gabriel  Leggett,  respectively. 

During  the  American  Revolution  the  old  inn  was  the  rendez- 
vous for  British  officers.  Colonel  James  De  Lancey,  commander 
of  the  Loyalists  in  Westchester,  frequently  invited  his  brother 
officers  over  from  Queens  County  for  a  fox  hunt.  The  chase  being 
started  at  the  junction  of  West  Farms  and  Westchester  turnpike 
and  the  locality  became  known  as  "Fox  Corners." 

Foxhurst  was  another  relic  of  bygone  days.  This  splendid 
old  residence  stood  at  the  junction  of  West  Farms  Road  and  West- 
chester Avenue,  and  was  erected  seventy-two  years  ago  by  William 

141 


142 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


W.  Fox,  president  of  the  first  gas  company  in  America,  who  also 
was  one  of  the  first  Croton  Water  Commissioners  appointed  by 
Governor  Macy. 

On  Westchester  Avenue  opposite  Foxhurst  Mansion,  stood 
Brightside,  the  country  seat  of  the  late  Colonel  Hoe,  the  inventor 
of  the  "Hoe  Lightning  or  Rotary  Press."  Richard  March  Hoe  was 
born  in  New  York,  September  12,  1812.  His  father,  Robert  Hoe, 
came  to  New  York  from  Lancashire,  England,  in  1803.  A  year 
or  so  later  he  settled  in  Westchester  County  and  married  Rachel, 


Old  Hunt  In 


daughter  of  Matthew  Smith  of  North  Salem,  Westchester  County, 
New  York.  With  his  brothers-in-law,  Peter  and  Mathew  Smith, 
he  took  up  the  manufacture  of  a  hand  printing  press,  and  in  1833, 
became  sole  proprietor.  A  skilful  mechanic,  he  constructed  the 
original  Hoe  Press,  and  was,  it  is  thought,  the  earliest  American 
machinist  to  utilize  steam  as  a  motive  power  in  his  plant. 

Upon  the  death  of  Robert  Hoe,  in  1833,  his  son,  Richard  March 
Hoe,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  became  the  senior  partner  of  the 
firm.  He  devised  numerous  ingenious  improvements  in  the  presses 
and  in  1837  he  also  patented  a  fine  quality  of  steel  saws,  the  pro- 
duction of  which  became  part  of  their  business.  In  1847  he  pat- 
ented his  lightning  press,  so  called  because  of  the  rapidity  of  its 


The  Bronx  Gas  k  Electric  Company 

Frisby  and  Walker  Avenues 

Tel.  Westchester,  500 

FT  FCTRIflTY  FOR  P0WER  USES  such  as  motors  for  manufacturing 
LLiUUlltlUlA  x     purposes  or  sewing  machines,  washing   machines,  etc. 


GAS 


FOR  LIGHTING 

lamps. 


using  flame  arcs,  tungsten  or  carbon 


FOR  HEATING — using  stoves,  grills,  chafing  dishes, 
soldering  irons  an    pressing  household  irons. 
FOR  COOKING  PURPOSES— using  special  stoves  for 
Hotel  and  Restaurant  work  as  well  as  Domestic  Stoves. 
FOR  HEATING  WATER— in  Automatic,  Instantane- 
ous or  Tank  Water-Heaters. 

FOR  ROOM  HEATING— using  gas-steam  radiators, 
gas-logs,  gas  grates  or  portable  heaters. 
FOR  SPECIAL  INDUSTRIAL  WORK,  where  heat, 
hot  water  or  steam  is  required. 


Inquiries  Solicited 


'Phone  for  our  representative 


Courteous  Attention  Given 


Metropolitan  Dye  Works 

WEIGLE  &  FUNKE 

Cleaners  and  Dyers 


OFFICES 
114  West  39th  Street 
140  East  49  th  Street 
771  Third  Avenue 

Madison  Avenue 
1500  Third  Avenue 
Bronx  and  180th  Sis. 


First  Class  Work 
Reasonable  Prices 
Prompt  Delivery 


OFFICES 
852  Columbus  Ave. 
514  Amsterdam  Ave. 
5515  Broadway 
26  15  Broadway 
45  East  125th  Street 
591  West  181st  Street 


Telephone  Connections 


Telephone  Connections 


Works  at  180th  Street  and  Bronx  River 
;  WEST  FARMS,  NEW  YORK  CITY 

Telephone,  84  Tremont 


H,  GOOSSEN 


DEALER  IN 


Fine 

Groceries 


Teas,  Coffees,  Spices,  Etc. 
Fruits  and  Vegetables  in  Season 

1809  Crotona  Avenue 

Telephone,  829  Tremont  Near  175th  Street 


What  is  the  feeling  one  lacks  when  purchasing  a 
Piano  from  an  unknown  firm  ?  Is  it  not  "confi- 
dence" ?  This  feeling  can  be  dispelled  by  calling  on 

WINTERROTH  &  CO. 


PIANOS 


Telephone,  1516  Stuyvesanl 


105  EAST  14th  ST. 
NEW  YORK  CITY 

Subway  Station  at  our  door 


New  Pianos,  $200.00  and  upwards 

Easy  payments  and  no  interest.  "Inspection 
invited."    The  wonder  of  the  age! 

The  "Winterroth  Player  Piano." 

Call  and  let  us  demonstrate  it. 


BRONX 
482  Tremont  Ave. 


HARLEM 
14  West  125th  St. 


We  make  a  specialty  of 
TUNING  &  REPAIRING 


THE 

BEN 
HAT 

473 
Tremont 

Ave. 
BRONX 


MANUFACTURER  OF 
FURNITURE   SLIP  COVERS 


COUCHES  &  DINING 
ROOM  CHAIRS 


Telephone. 

Tremont  5494 


S.  SINGER 

Uptjotaterer 

FOR  THE  TRADE 

DECORATING  a  PARLOR  SUITS 
MATTRESSES  AND 
CABINET  MAKING 

820  TREMONT  AVE. 

BRONX.  N.  Y. 


Telephone,  984  Tremont 

H  .  R  O  L  P  H 

Successor  to  ROLPH  &  ROLPH 

Real  Estate,  Insurance  and 
Mortgage  Broker 

535  East  Tremont  Avenue       NEW  YORK 

Cor.  Third  Avenue      Bronx  Borough 

W.  Edson  Andrews,  M.D.S.,  L.L.B. 

University  Grad.  DENTAL  OFFICE 

Assistant 

The  Best  in  Modern  Dentistry 

20  Years  Experience       463  Tremont  Avenue 
Tel.  416-W  Tremont  NEW  YORK 


Telephone,  Tremont  984 

ERNEST  ROLPH 

Attorney  and  Counselor  at  Law 
535  East  177th  Street 
Cor.  Third  Avenue 
Borough  of  the  Bronx  NEW  YORK 


See  HARRY  C.  JACKSON 

If  You  Want  to  EXCHANGE,  BUY  or  SELL 
REAL  ESTATE 


1419  Wilkens  Avenue 

Phone  number  4022  Tremont 


BRONX,  N.  Y. 


WEST  FARMS 


143 


motions.  Afterwards  he  invented  the  web  perfecting  press  which 
prints  on  both  sides  and  includes  a  complicated  apparatus  for  cut- 
ting and  folding  the  sheet.  This  machine  revolutionized  the  art  of 
newspaper  printing  and  permits  the  issuing  of  a  "special  extra" 
within  a  few  minutes  after  the  occurrence  of  an  extraordinary 
event.  The  present  Hoe  Octuple  Press  prints  464  miles  of  news- 
paper per  hour.  The  factory  on  Grand  Street,  New  York,  is  said 
to  be  the  largest  printing  works  in  the  world. 

During  the  summer  months  Colonel  Hoe  repaired  to  his 
country  seat  in  West  Farms,  where  he  owned  an  estate  of  sixteen 
acres,  which  he  styled  Brightside.  Here  he  indulged  his 
fancy  for  blooded  cattle.  The  house,  which  was  situated  on  the 
southeast  corner  of  Westchester  Turnpike  and  the  road  to  Hunt's 
Point,  now  known  as  Southern  Boulevard,  was  razed  in  1908  to 
make  room  for  suburban  improvements.  Col.  Richard  March  Hoe 
died  suddenly  at  Florence,  Italy,  June  7,  1886. 

Peter  Hoe,  nephew  of  R.  M.  Hoe,  who  added  various  improve- 
ments to  the  original  Hoe  printing  press,  also  had  his  home, 
Sunnyside,  in  The  Bronx.  It  was  situated  across  Hunt's  Point 
Road  and  was  one  of  the  finest  residences  in  the  Borough. 

At  the  junction  of  Boston  Road  and  Minford  Place  is  the  site 
of  the  "Spy  House."  In  this  little  building,  it  is  said,  lived  an 
American  spy,  who  played  in  the  neighborhood  a  part  similar  to 
that  of  Cooper's  spy  at  Mamaroneck. 

At  Bryant  Avenue  and  One  Hundred  Eightieth  Street  is  the 
West  Farms  Presbyterian  Church,  built  in  1815.  During  the 
Colonial  and  the  Revolutionary  periods  of  the  Presbyterians  in  the 
lower  part  of  Westchester  County  had  no  church  of  their  own. 
This  was  considered  by  the  New  York  Presbytery  a  good  field  for 
missionary  work.  Between  the  years  1718  and  1721  William  Ten- 
nant,  a  Presbyterian  clergyman,  attempted  to  evangelize  this  sec- 
tion. In  1814  the  Rev.  Isaac  Lewis  divided  his  time  between  West 
Farms  and  New  Rochelle.  In  the  following  year  a  church  edifice 
was  erected;  the  congregation  was  fully  organized  by  the  election 
of  officers  on  November  5,  1818.  By  means  of  a  legacy  left  to  the 
church  by  Charles  Bathgate  Beck,  in  1903,  a  new  stone  edifice, 
known  as  the  Beck  Memorial  Presbyterian  Church,  was  erected 
directly  opposite  the  old  church  building  which  was  for  a  time  given 
over  to  a  colored  congregation. 

Adjoining  the  old  church  cemetery  are  interred  many  veterans 


144 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


of  the  Sixth  New  York  Heavy  Artillery  who  enlisted  for  the  Civil 
War  from  West  Farms  and  Westchester  village,  and  who  gave 
their  lives  in  the  service  of  their  country.  The  West  Farms  Ceme- 
tery, where  the  remains  of  these  soldiers  are  buried,  had  fallen 
into  neglect ;  the  graves  were  sunken  and  the  tombstones  overgrown 
and  almost  obliterated.  In  1907  a  Mrs.  Cunningham,  the  widow 
of  a  soldier,  chanced  to  be  passing  by  the  graveyard  at  the  time 
when  the  street  was  being  widened,  and  noticed  a  number  of  bones 


West  Farms  Cemetery 

being  thrown  into  a  cart.  She  drew  the  attention  of  the  citizens 
of  the  Borough  to  the  neglect  of  these  honored  graves  and  the 
disgrace  of  the  city  in  forgetting  its  heroes.  A  committee,  headed 
by  Captain  Charles  Baxter,  at  once  set  about  to  prevent  further 
desecration  of  the  graves  and  to  restore  the  cemetery  to  a  respec- 
table condition.  A  board  fence  was  erected  by  the  Borough  in 
July,  1908;  while  in  October,  1909,  a  monument  was  erected  by 
public  subscription  which  was  dedicated  with  appropriate  cere- 
monies on  May  29th,  1910.  Three  brass  cannon,  shell,  and  a 
flagpole  were  presented  by  the  United  States  Government  for 
decorative  purposes.  The  most  distinguished  of  those  buried  within 


WEST  FARMS 


145 


the  cemetery  is  Captain  William  J.  Rasberry,  of  Company  C,  Sixth 
New  York  Artillery  who  was  killed  during  "Sheridan's  Ride," 
at  Cedar  Creek,  Va.,  October  19th,  1864,  while  leading  his  men  up 
the  hill.  Within  the  plot  are  the  remains  of  eleven  soldiers,  two 
of  them  of  the  War  of  1812. 

During  the  Civil  War,  many  individual  soldiers  enlisted  from 
all  parts  of  the  Borough,  while  the  following  companies  were  re- 
cruited almost  wholly  in  the  places  given;  Sixth  Artillery,  Com- 
pany C,  wholly,  and  Company  K,  partially,  at  West  'Farms;  Com- 
pany H,  in  Morrisiana;  Fifth  Infantry  (Duryea's  Zouaves), 
Company  F,  partially,  in  Fordham ;  Seventeenth  Infantry,  Com- 
pany C,  Morrisiana;  One  Hundred  Seventy-sixth  Infantry  (Iron- 
sides), Company  G,  in  Pelham. 

When  the  "Copperhead"  element  of  the  Borough  read,  on 
July  14th,  1863,  of  the  riotous  resistance  to  the  draft  on  Manhattan 
Island  the  preceding  day,  they  banded  together,  attacked  the  draft 
offices  at  Morrisania  and  West  Farms  and  destroyed  the  lists.  They 
then  demolished  the  telegraph  offices  in  Melrose  and  Williams- 
bridge  and  proceeded  to  tear  up  the  rails  of  the  Harlem  and  New 
Haven  Railroads  in  order  to  prevent  the  arrival  of  troops  and 
outside  assistance.  They  did  not,  however,  go  the  lengths  of 
their  rebellious  neighbors.  The  mobs  were  soon  quieted  by  the 
appeals  of  Supervisor  Caldwell  and  Pierre  C.  Talman. 

On  the  evening  of  the  fifteenth  a  meeting  was  held  in  the  town 
hall  of  Tremont  where  the  crowd  was  addressed  by  John  B.  Haskin 
and  Pierre  C.  Talman.  The  speakers  managed  the  mass  of  excited 
and  ignorant  men  with  considerable  diplomacy,  first  flattering  them 
with  the  statement  that  they  were  right  in  their  resistance  to  the 
draft,  and  then  appealing  to  their  sense  of  self-respect  and  order. 
The  mob  was  finally  pacified  by  the  appointment  of  a  committee  "to 
wait  on  Moses  G.  Sheard,  Esq.,  Federal  Provost  Marshal  of  the 
district,  to  insist  that  the  draft  be  stopped  till  the  State  could  de- 
cide whether  it  was  constitutional."  At  the  same  time  the  news 
that  troops  had  arrived  in  New  York  and  discomfited  the  mobs 
there  also  acted  as  a  tonic,  and  quiet  and  order  were  once  more  re- 
stored. * 

The  Isaac  Varian  homestead,  also  known  as  the  Valentine 
House,  at  Van  Cortlandt  Avenue  and  Woodlawn  Road,  was  erected 

*  Stephen  Jenkins,  The  Story  of  the  Bronx. 


146 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


in  1776  while  the  old  wing,  now  destroyed,  dates  back  to  1770.  An 
encounter  occurred  here  in  1777  between  the  British  and  the  Ameri- 
cans, the  Continentals  driving  their  foes  out  of  this  house  and  along 
the  Boston  Post  Road  to  Fort  Independence. 

On  the  17th  of  January,  1777,  General  Heath,  in  compliance 
with  General  Washington's  orders,  began  an  attack  against  Fort 
Independence.  It  was  intended  by  this  means,  even  if  the  fort  was 
not  taken,  to  cause  the  British  to  withdraw  some  of  their  troops 
from  New  Jersey  and  Rhode  Island.    General  Lincoln  advanced 


Isaac  Varian  Homestead 

by  the  Albany  Post  Road  to  the  heights  above  Van  Cortlandt  Park ; 
General  Scott  came  from  Scarsdale  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Valentine 
house  on  the  Boston  Road,  between  Williamsbridge  and  Kings- 
bridge,  while  Generals  Wooster  and  Parsons  marched  from  New 
Rochelle  over  the  Boston  Road. 

The  three  divisions  arrived  at  the  enemy's  outpost  just  before 
sunrise.  Lincoln  captured  the  outpost  in  the  front  at  "Upper  Cort- 
landt's."  Heath  ordered  the  cannonade  of  the  Valentine  House,  if 
the  guard  resisted,  and  he  stationed  two  hundred  and  fifty  men 
between  the  house  and  Fort  Independence  to  prevent  the  guard 
from  retreating  to  the  fort.  Two  mounted  British  pickets  were 
espied  fleeing  to  give  the  alarm.    One  was  captured,  but  the  other 


METAL  CEILINGS 


Side  Walls 

and 
Wainscoting 
for  all 
Buildings 

No  Job  too 

Small  to 
Receive  Our 
Most  Careful 
Attention 


PHONE! 


Average 
Sized  Ceiling 

Finished  in 
one  day  with- 
out Remov- 
ing  Plaster 

No  Dirt! 

Private 
Dwellings 
a  Specialty 

WRITE! 


JULIUS  OEHRLEIN 


Tel.  1517  Tremont 


1840  Bathgate  Ave. 


BRONX 


Appraiser,  Estates    Managed,  Buying,  Selling, 
Renting  and  Collecting.  Mortgage 
Loans  Negotiated. 

Cornelius  B.  Parker 
Real  Estate  and  Insurance 

2543  Walker  Ave.,  Westchester,  New  York  City 
Commissioner  of  T)eeds 

Phone,  Melrose  4139 

Schutte=Smith  Company 

COMMERCIAL 

Printers  uub  g>tatuntrrfi 

OFFICE  OUTFITTERS 

2583  -  •  2585  -  -  25»7  Third  Avenue 
Near  139th  Street 

BRONX.  N.  Y. 

The  Waukrite  Shoe  Co. 

SHOES  and  HOSIERY 

426  Mott  Ave.       New  York 

Near  148th  St. 
A.  W.  KENT,  Manager. 


S.  J.  VENECEK  &  CO. 

Makers  of 
Fine  Cigars 

3269  Third  Avenue 

Box  Trade  a  Specialty 


The  Phenomenal  Increase  in  Value  of  Real  Estate  in  the  Various  Italian  "Colonies, 
which  in  many  Cases,  During  the  last  Fifteen  Years,  have  become  the  Central 
Points  of  the  City  and  the  most  sought  after  Sections  of  their  Kind. 


The  first  Italian  "Colony"  began  to  establish  itself  in  the  section  below  the  well  known  "Five  Points' ' 
and  in  the  vicinity  of  Mulberry  Street.  At  that  time  this  was  considered  the  worst  spot  in  the  City  of 
New  York,  populated  as  it  was  by  people  of  questionable  character  who  maintained  houses  which 
were  the  retreats  and  resorts  of  thieves  gangmen  and  malefactors  of  assorted  variety.  Only  in  this  en- 
vironment, where  the  dregs  and  social  scum  of  the  metropolis  gathered,  could  a  poor  Italian  rent  an 
apartment.  Being  looked  upon  by  owners  of  houses  as  a  member  of  an  undesirable  element,  a  poor  Italian 
could  not  rent  anything  better,  and  had  to  be  content  to  pay  his  honest  hard  earned  money  for  these 
nests  of  filth  and  indecency.  Gradually,  however,  the  sterling  worth  and  thrift  of  the  Italian  procured  the 
means  to  oust  their  shiftless,  immoral  neighbors  through  ownership  of  the  houses,  and  in  a  few  years  the 
sons  of  Italy  became  absolute  masters  in  that  section.  But  for  a  long  timo  after  the  predominance  of 
the  Italian  was  assured,  in  fact  until  several  years  ago,  the  Mulberry  Street  Italian  quarter  was  gener- 
ally admitted  to  be  one  of  the  poorest  and  filthiest  sections  of  New  York,  a  place  where  tuberculosis 
and  infectious  diseases  ran  rampant  and  caused  thousands  of  unnecessary,  premature  deaths. 

As  opposed  to  the  deplorable  conditions  of  twenty  years  ago.  we  have  today  an  outcome  almost 
past  belief.  The  City  of  New  York  is  about  to  acquire  the  property  around  Mulberry  Street  and  the 
"Five  Points"  and  will  erect  many  magnificent  public  buildings  on  the  sites  so  obtained.  The  County  of 
New  York  will  have  in  the  group  of  new  structures  an  imposing  new  Supreme  Court  to  replace  the  anti- 
quated 'Tweed"  Court  House  now  in  City  Hall  Park  This  Italian  quarter,  therefore,  will  become  one  of 
the  most  expensive  and  important  sections  of  the  City.  So  we  have  a  condition  where  land  which  30 
years  ago  had  a  limited  value  of  $7,000  per  lot.  has  today  a  market  value  of  $30,000  for  tho  same  parcel. 
It  is  further  beyond  any  cavil  or  doubt  that  in  a  few  years  more,  the  fortunate  owners  of  property  ad- 
jacent to  the  new  park  and  civic  center  will  be  able  to  dispose  of  their  buildings  for  more  than  $50,000 
per  city  lot. 

Many  comparisons  of  this  kind  could  be  made,  but  it  would  require  space  that  might  burden  the 
reader.  Rather  let  us  discuss  the  present  opportunities,  more  important  to  the  investor. 

There  is  a  section  in  the  Borough  of  The  Bronx  called  Fordham.  It  is  situated  east  of  Third  Avenue 
near  the  Southern  Boulevard  and  ls:ird  Street,  Bronx  Park  and  Pelham  Avenue.  To  have  a  proper  idea 
of  the  favorable  increase  which  the  Italian  Colony  affords  to  the  City  of  New  York,  it  is  sufficient  to 
consider  that  not  more  than  five  years  ago,  this  locality  was  occupied  by  a  limited  group  of  modest  Ital- 
ian laborers  who  rented  small  tumble  down  houses,  so  as  to  be  near  their  work  on  the  streets  which 
were  being  laid  toward  Bronx  Park,  Pelham  Avenue  and  other  places.  At  that  period,  land  in  this  local- 
ity was  sold  from  $800  to  $1,000  per  lot.  and  not  even  at  these  prices  could  purchasers  be  found.  Now, 
however  that  is,  during  the  last  five  years,  the  neighborhood  is  changing  as  if  by  magic,  the  small  rustic 
houses  vanish  gradually,  and  are  substituted  by  enormous  buildings  "Apartment  Houses."  which  respon- 
sible Italian  contractors  erect  in  full  conformity  wit  h  modern  hygienic  systems  and  elegance;  each  apart- 
ment being  furnished  with  the  most  luxurious  comforts:  steam  heat,  bath,  electric  light,  telephone  etc. 

With  all  t  hese  favorable  conditions,  it  is  necessary  to  know  that  today  the  Italian  who  goes  to  live 
in  The  Bronx  has  reached  a  degree  which  leaves  him  nothing  to  wish  for  regarding  his  mode  of  living, 
neither  has  he  any  reason  to  envy  the  houses  and  a  part  ments  of  the  Americans  in  equal  circumstances  so 
much  so,  that  as  soon  as  a  building  is  completed,  it  is  taken  at  once  by  high-class  Italian  mechanics, 
who  so  much  desire  to  breathe  a  little  pure  air,  away  from  the  deafening  noises  of  commerce  and  far 
away  from  the  odors  of  the  numerous  factories  placed  one  on  top  of  the  other  in  the  centre  of  the  City. 

The  builders,  encouraged  in  their  work,  are  doing  their  utmost  to  acquire  this  small  tract  of  land 
which  four  years  ago  was  sold  at  an  average  of  $1,500  per  lot,  and  which  to-day  sell  at  prices  ranging 
upward  from  $4,000.  The  typographical  position  of  the  locality,  which  does  not  permit  of  extensions,  is 
a  guarantee  that  in  a  short  space  of  time  it  will  double  in  value.  Two  sides  of  the  property  abut  on 
Bronx  Park,  one  other  on  Third  Avenue  and  the  fourth  on  180th  Street.  A  limited  area  of  land  in  a  lo- 
cality always  produces  rapid  increases  in  value. 

A  further  contribution  to  the  many  conditions  of  Fordham  which  work  for  prosperity  is  the  large 
commercial  traffic  of  lsyth  Street.  Here  is  located  a  commercial  center,  the  advantages  of  which  are 
readily  accessible  to  the  neighboring  residents.  Thus  is  afforded  an  opportunity  to  shop  with  great  econ- 
omy while  living  under  the  most  favorable  conditions,  and  with  a  splendid  investment  for  the  future. 


WEST  FARMS 


147 


escaped  and  alarmed  the  British  outposts,  who  ran  for  the  fort. 
They  were  fired  upon  by  the  Americans,  and  one  of  them  was  taken 
prisoner. 

Built  into  the  walls  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Nativity,  located 
at  Woodlawn  Road  and  Bainbridge  Avenue,  are  three  old  tomb- 
stones, two  of  the  Bussing  family,  dating  1753,  and  one  of  the 
Valentine  family. 

Opposite  the  Catholic  church  is  the  site  of  the  old  John  Wil- 
liams' house,  erected  about  1753,  the  home  of  the  -family  after 
which  Williamsbridge  is  named.  The  house  was  sold  in  1903  to 
an  Italian  for  firewood. 

On  White  Plains  Road  near  Williamsbridge  Square  stands 
a  little  Revolutionary  house  painted  red,  shot  full  of  holes  by 
British  riflemen. 

The  Hustace  house,  Two  Hundred  Twenty-first  Street,  one  of 
the  oldest  landmarks  of  the  region,  can  be  seen  facing  an  old  white 
house  on  a  disused  lane. 

On  the  northeast  corner  of  Two  Hundred  Twenty-second 
Street  and  White  Plains  Road,  stands  the  Haven  house.  Within  this 
old  house  are  many  relics  of  early  Colonial  days,  which  have  been 
preserved  with  great  care.  Here  may  be  seen  the  high  back  rush- 
bottomed  chair  in  which  General  Washington  sat  while  paying 
off  his  ragged  army  after  the  battle  of  Chatterton  Heights,  at 
White  Plains  in  1776.  There  is  also  a  rocker  belonging  to  George 
Clinton,  the  first  governor  of  the  State  of  New  York;  also  a  ma- 
hogany bedstead  on  which  Commodore  Perry  died. 

Mrs.  Martha  Clinton  Havens  was  the  adopted  daughter  of 
General  James  Clinton  of  Newburgh,  the  brother  of  Governor 
Clinton.  It  is  said  that  the  piano  now  in  Washington's  headquar- 
ters at  Newburgh,  belonged  to  Mrs.  Havens.  The  brass  cannon 
on  the  lawn  was  taken  from  the  British  by  General  Harrison  at 
the  battle  of  Tippecanoe,  in  1814. 

On  the  corner  of  Two  Hundred  Twenty-eighth  Street  stood 
the  shingled  house,  torn  down  in  1885,  which  was  used  for  a  time 
by  Washington  as  headquarters. 

The  Chateauneuf  residence,  on  the  south  side  of  Two  Hundred 
Thirty-first  Street,  west  of  White  Plains  Road  was  built  about 
1853  and  was  the  refuge  of  the  widow  and  four  children  of  the 
Marquis  de  Chateauneuf,  former  governor  of  Touraine,  who  fled 
from  France  to  escape  espionage. 


148 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BKONX 


West  of  Webster  Avenue  and  almost  opposite  the  Union  Rail- 
way car  barns  on  the  old  Hyatt  farm,  stands  an  unpretentious 
one-and-a-half-story  building  that  played  an  important  part  in 
the  early  days  of  the  Revolution,  and  in  which  Washington  when 
hard  pressed  and  in  danger  of  Lord  Howe's  and  General  Von 
Knyphausen's  advance  from  Pell's  Point,  thought  it  prudent  to 
store  some  of  his  cannon  so  that  he  could  make  quicker  progress 
in  his  retreat  to  White  Plains.  The  house  is  known  today  as 
"Washington's  Gun  House,"  while  the  adjoining  settlement  was 
called  Washingtonville. 


Washington's  Gun  House 


When  the  land  hereabouts  was  still  the  uninvaded  country  of 
the  Indians,  the  copper-skinned  maidens  of  the  Stockbridge  braves 
of  the  Algonquins,  who  lived  in  a  neighboring  village,  selected  as 
a  trysting  place  an  immense  rock  under  a  group  of  willow  trees 
on  the  bank  of  the  Bronx  River.  It  is  said  that  at  this  beautiful 
spot  one  of  the  fairest  daughters  of  the  Stockbridge  tribe  was 
wooed  by  the  son  of  an  Algonquin  chieftain  and  that  when  he 
carried  her  off  as  his  bride  the  boulder  was  named  the  "Wishing 
Rock."  After  the  white  men  had  driven  the  Indians  from  this 
region  the  legend  of  the  rock  remained,  and  until  a  half  century 
ago  it  was  still  a  rendezvous  for  lovers.  The  section  is  now  known 
as  Wakefield. 

The  Penfield  homestead,  which  stood,  until  it  was  almost  de- 


WEST  FARMS 


149 


stroyed  by  fire  on  the  morning  of  May  13th,  1912,  at  Demilt  Avenue 
and  Two  Hundred  Forty-second  Street,  east  of  White  Plains  Road, 
was  erected  over  a  century  ago.  It  was  formerly  occupied  by  the 
Pauldings,  the  De  Milts  and  the  Penfields.  Within  its  old  Colonial 
walls  Justices  Marshall  and  Jay,  as  well  as  Aaron  Burr,  and  Cap- 
tains Ayres  and  Paulding  of  the  Continental  troops,  were  sheltered 
under  its  roof,  and  their  names  were  cut  in  the  small  old  fashioned 
panes  of  glass  with  which  the  windows  were  decorated. 

At  Demilt  Avenue  once  stood  the  Thirteen  Trees  planted  in  the 
early  days  by  a  relative  of  the  Paulding  who  helped  to  capture 
Major  Andre,  the  British  spy.  They  have  all  yielded  to  the  onward 
march  of  progress;  the  last  one,  a  black  walnut,  measuring  three 
feet  eight  inches  at  the  butt,  having  been  cut  down  a  few  years 
ago. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


FORDHAM  MANOR 

Edgar  Allan  Poe  and  His  Cottage  at  Fordham,  Where  He  Won  a  Niche  in 
the  Hall  of  Fame  That  He  had  Not  Dreamed  of— Frederick  Philipse 
Whose  Ships  Brought  Fortunes  to  These  Shores. 


HE  Poe  Cottage  in  Fordham  has  been  the 
shrine  for  many  a  pilgrimage.  Edgar 
Allan  Poe  was  born  in  Boston,  January  19, 
1809,  and  died  forty  years  later  in  Balti- 
more. While  he  was  one  of  the  most  tal- 
ii'  ented  and  original  literary  geniuses,  he  was  also 
_H  one  of  the  most  unfortunate  of  men,  and  his 
whole  life  was  a  struggle  with  want  and  poverty. 
He  was  a  man  of  varied  moods,  and  gifted  with 
an  extraordinary  imagination.  His  writings  have 
been  reproduced  in  many  languages,  yet  his  work 
met  with  poor  compensation.  For  "The  Raven,"  which  has  been 
read  and  recited  wherever  the  English  language  is  spoken,  he 
received  the  sum  of  ten  dollars.  This  justly  celebrated  poem  was 
written  at  the  old  Brennan  House  on  Riverside  Drive,  near  West 
Eighty-eighth  Street,  Manhattan. 

It  was  in  the  little  cottage  at  Fordham,  where  he  lived  from 
1845  to  1849,  that  he  produced  some  of  his  literary  gems,  and 

150 


FORDHAM  MANOR 


151 


where  he  spent  some  of  his  most  gloomy  hours.  It  was  there,  also, 
that  he  lost  his  wife,  Virginia,  whom  he  had  married  when  she 
was  barely  thirteen  years  old.  Poe's  devotion  to  his  child-wife 
was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  features  of  his  life,  and  many  of 
his  famous  poetic  productions  were  inspired  by  her.  She  was  but 
twenty-five  when  she  died. 

It  was 'in  this  cottage,  too,  that  Poe  poured  forth  his  amatory 
effusions  to  Mrs.  Sarah  Helen  Whitman,  the  Rhode  Island  poetess, 
sixteen  years  his  senior.  These  passionate  love  epistles  were  writ- 
ten two  years  after  the  death  of  his  wife,  Virginia,  and  within  a 
few  months  of  his  own  death,  and  they  culminated  in  a  promise  of 
marriage.  The  engagement  was  broken  off  on  the  eve  of  marriage 
by  the  interference  of  friends. 

The  following  extracts  from  Poe's  letters  to  his  betrothed  in- 
dicate his  warmth  of  affection. 

"Fordham,  Sunday  night,  Oct.  1,  1848. 

I  have  pressed  your  letter  again  and  again  to  my  lips,  sweetest  Helen — 
bathing  it  in  tears  of  joy,  or  of  divine  despair!  ..." 

"The  mere  thought  that  your  dear  fingers  would  press — your  sweet  eyes 
dwell  upon  characters  which  had  welled  out  upon  the  paper  from  the  depths 
of  so  devout  a  love — filled  my  soul  with  a  rapture  which  seemed  then  all- 
sufficient  for  my  human  nature.    .    .  ." 

"If  ever,  then,  I  dared  to  picture  for  myself  a  richer  happiness,  it  was 
always  connected  with  your  image  in  Heaven. 

"As  you  entered  the  room  ...  I  felt  .  .  .  the  existence  of  spiritual 
influences  ...  I  saw  that  you  were  Helen — my  Helen — the  Helen  of  a 
thousand  dreams — she  whose  visionary  lips  had  so  often  lingered  upon  my  own 
in  the  divine  trance  of  passion — she  whom  the  great  Giver  of  all  Good  pre- 
ordained to  be  mine — mine  only — if  not  now,  alas!  then  at  least  hereafter  and 
forever  in  the  heavens.  .  .  .  Your  hand  rested  in  mine  and  my  whole  soul 
shook  with  a  tremulous  ecstasy.  ..." 

"You  are  aware,  sweet  Helen,  that  on  my  part  there  are  insuperable 
reasons  forbidding  me  to  urge  upon  you  my  love.  Were  I  not  poor — had  not 
my  late  errors  and  excesses  justly  lowered  me  in  the  esteem  of  the  good — were 
I  wealthy,  or  could  I  offer  you  worldly  honors — ah,  then — then — how  proud 
would  I  be  to  persevere — to  sue — to  plead — to  pray — to  beseech  you  for  your 
love — in  the  deepest  humility — at  you  feet — at  you  feet,  Helen,  and  with 
floods  of  passionate  tears!    .    .  ." 


152 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


"October  18,  1848. 

"...  You  do  not  love  me,  or  you  would  have  felt  too  thoro  a  sympathy 
with  the  sensitiveness  of  my  nature,  to  have  so  wounded  me  as  you  have  done 
with  this  terrible  passage  of  your  letter:  'How  often  have  I  heard  men  and 
even  women  say  of  you — "He  has  great  intellectual  power,  but  no  principle,  no 
moral  sense."  '  Is  it  possible  that  such  expressions  as  these  could  have  been 
repeated  to  me — to  me — by  one  whom  I  loved — ah,  whom  I  love — at  whose 
feet  I  knelt — I  still  kneel- — in  deeper  worship  than  ever  man  offered  to  God? — 
And  you  proceed  to  ask  me  why  such  opinions  exist.  ..." 

"Friday  the  24th. 

"You  allude  to  your  having  been  'tortured  by  reports  which  have  since 
been  explained  to  your  entire  satisfaction.'  On  this  point  my  mind  is  fully 
made  up.  I  will  rest  neither  by  night  nor  by  day  until  I  bring  those  who  have 
slandered  me  into  the  light  of  day — until  I  expose  them  and  their  motives  to 
the  public  eye.    I  have  the  means  and  I  will  ruthlessly  employ  them.    .    .  ." 

The  following  brief  note  of  joyous  assurance  from  Poe  to  Mrs. 
Clemm,  heightens  the  tragedy: 

"My  Own  Dear  Mother:  We  shall  be  married  on  Monday,  and  will  be 
at  Fordham  on  Tuesday,  in  the  first  train." 

Poe's  life  was  brimful  of  sorrow.  His  grandfather,  General 
David  Poe,  served  with  credit  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  was 
known  to  Washington  and  to  Lafayette.  His  father  was  intended 
for  the  bar;  but  against  the  wishes  of  his  family,  he  married  an 
English  actress,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hopkins,  the  daughter  of  the  once 
celebrated  actress,  Mrs.  Arnold,  and  joined  her  on  the  stage.  Edgar 
was  but  two  years  of  age  when  both  parents  died  in  Richmond 
within  a  few  weeks  of  each  other,  and  the  orphan  was  adopted  by 
John  Allan,  a  wealthy  Richmond  merchant,  from  whom  he  received 
his  middle  name.  Here  he  was  treated  like  one  of  the  family,  and 
the  coddling  and  over-indulgence  accorded  him  is  responsible  for 
his  being  a  "spoilt  child"  thruout  his  life. 

Poe  was  given  excellent  educational  opportunities  by  his  foster- 
father.  In  1815  he  was  taken  on  a  tour  thru  England  and 
Scotland  and  placed  in  the  Manor  House  School,  Stoke  Newington, 
about  four  miles  from  London.  When  he  returned  to  Richmond 
six  years  later,  he  was  placed  in  the  English  and  Classical  School 
of  Joseph  H.  Clarke,  where  he  was  prepared  for  college.    At  the 


FORDHAM  MANOR 


153 


age  of  seventeen  he  entered  the  University  of  Virginia,  where  he 
excelled  in  the  languages  and  in  athletics.  He  took  high  honors  in 
Latin  and  French.  But  he  fell  into  heavy  gambling  debts,  and  at 
the  end  of  the  first  year  Mr.  Allan  withdrew  him  from  college 
and  put  him  to  work  in  his  counting  house. 

Poe  determined  to  make  his  own  fortune,  and  he  ran  away 
to  Boston  where  he  soon  issued  his  first  book,  Tamerlane  and  other 
Poems.  Poor  and  friendless,  he  now  enlisted  in  the-  army.  He 
must  have  been  an  efficient  soldier,  for  he  was  promoted  to  sergeant- 
general.  Thru  the  influence  of  Mr.  Allan,  he  was  allowed  to 
enter  West  Point;  but  not  being  able  to  stay  long  under  restraint, 
he  deliberately  gave  such  ground  for  offence  that  he  was  court- 
martialed  and  dismissed. 

He  now  turned  to  literature  for  a  livelihood.  By  winning  a 
prize  of  $100  for  a  short  story,  he  gained  the  admiration  of  John 
Kennedy,  the  novelist,  who  rescued  him  from  poverty  by  securing 
for  him  magazine  hack  work.  He  brought  about  an  enormous  in- 
crease in  subscription  for  every  periodical  with  which  he  was 
connected,  but  his  excesses  kept  him  in  the  throes  of  poverty  and 
wretchedness. 

At  this  time  he  was  living  with  his  aunt,  Mrs.  Clemm,  and 
her  daughter,  Virginia,  in  Baltimore,  but  he  soon  moved  to  Rich- 
mond, where  he  married  his  young  cousin  in  1835. 

His  indulgence  in  opium  and  intoxicants  increased,  and  he 
was  often  plunged  into  dire  penury.  In  1838,  he  removed  to  New 
York,  but  he  met  with  little  success,  and  he  had  to  keep  up  an  in- 
cessant struggle  to  keep  the  wolf  from  the  door.  In  1841  his  wife 
ruptured  a  blood  vessel,  and  the  next  six  years  were  full  of  misery 
and  agony.  For  the  sake  of  his  wife's  rapidly  failing  health,  he 
removed,  in  the  summer  of  1845,  to  "the  Little  Dutch  Cottage  in 
Fordham." 

Poe's  devotion  to  his  wife  was  steadfast.  There  is  a  tender 
letter  dated  June  12th,  1846,  addressed  to  "My  Dear  Heart — My 
Dear  Virginia."  "Keep  up  your  heart,"  he  wrote,  "in  all  hopeful- 
ness, and  trust  yet  a  little  longer.  On  my  last  great  disappoint- 
ment I  should  have  lost  courage  but  for  you — my  little  darling  wife. 
You  are  my  greatest  and  only  stimulus  now,  to  battle  with  this  un- 
congenial, unsatisfactory  and  ungrateful  life." 

In  1848  Poe  became  betrothed  to  Mrs.  Whitman,  but  the  en- 
gagement was  broken  off  on  the  eve  of  the  wedding.    In  June, 


154 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


1849,  he  revisited  Richmond  and  became  engaged  to  Mrs.  Shelton. 
On  September  18th,  1849,  he  wrote  from  Richmond  to  Mrs. 
Clemm:  "//  possible  I  will  be  married  before  I  start,  but  there 
is  no  telling.  ...  I  hope  that  our  troubles  are  nearly  over. 
.  .  .  The  papers  are  praising  me  nearly  to  death."  But  Poe 
was  doomed  never  to  remarry.    In  October,  while  on  the  way  to 


Fordham  Dutch  Reformed  Church 

Fordham,  he  stopped  off  at  Baltimore,  where  he  was  found  lying 
in  the  street  unconscious.  He  died  later  in  the  City  Hospital  and 
was  interred  in  the  burial  ground  of  Westminster  Church  near 
the  grave  of  his  grandfather.  His  wife's  body,  which  had  been 
buried  in  the  cemetery  of  the  old  Dutch  Reformed  Church  at 
Fordham,  was  removed  in  1878  and  laid  beside  that  of  her  de- 
voted husband. 

N.  P.  Willis,  an  intimate  friend  of  Poe,  describes  him  thus: 


FORDHAM  MANOR 


155 


"He  was  at  all  times  a  dreamer — dwelling  in  ideal  realms — 
in  Heaven  or  Hell — peopled  with  the  creatures  and  the  accidents 
of  his  brain.  He  walked  in  the  streets,  in  madness  or  melancholy, 
with  lips  moving  in  indistinct  curses,  or  with  eyes  upturned  in 
passionate  prayer  (never  for  himself,  for  he  felt  or  professed  to 
feel  that  he  was  already  damned),  but  for  their  happiness  who 
at  the  moment  were  objects  of  his  idolatry  or  with  his  glances 
introverted  to  a  heart  gnawed  with  anguish  and  With  a  face 
shrouded  in  gloom,  he  would  brave  the  wildest  storms,  and  all 
night  with  drenched  garments  and  arms  beating  the  winds  and 
rains  would  speak  as  if  the  spirits  that  at  such  times  only  could 
be  evoked  by  him  from  the  Aidenn,  close  by  whose  portals  his 
disturbed  soul  sought  to  forget  the  ills  to  which  he  might  never 
see  but  in  fitful  glimpses,  as  its  gates  opened  to  receive  the  less 
fiery  and  more  happy  natures  whose  destiny  to  sin  did  not  inspire 
the  doom  of  death. 

"He  seemed,  except  when  some  fitful  pursuit  subjugated  his 
will  and  engrossed  his  faculties,  always  to  bear  the  memory  of 
some  controlling  sorrow.  The  remarkable  poem  of  'The  Raven' 
was  probably  a  reflection  and  an  echo  of  his  own  history.  He 
was  that  bird's — unhappy  master,  whom  unmerciful  Disaster  fol- 
lowed fast  and  followed  faster,  till  his  songs  one  burden  bore — 
'Till  the  dirges  of  his  Hope  that  melancholy  burden  bore  of  'Never — 
never  more' !" 

Whatever  faults  or  failings  Poe  may  have  had  when  he  was 
alive,  he  stands  today  as  a  worthy  American  poet  and  prose  writer. 
The  fact  that  his  name  has  been  carved  with  other  prominent 
Americans  in  the  "Hall  of  Fame"  is  sufficient  proof  of  the  respect 
and  admiration  in  which  he  is  held  by  the  American  public. 

The  Philipse  manor-house  at  Yonkers,  located  close  to  the 
boundary,  deserves  our  attention,  for  the  Philipseburgh  Manor 
was  included  within  the  Borough  until  June  1,  1872,  when  the 
City  of  Yonkers  was  incorporated.  Tradition-  says  that  it  was  here 
that  George  Washington  courted  the  beautiful  Mary  Philipse  when 
he  was  the  guest  of  Colonel  Robinson  while  on  his  horseback  jour- 
ney from  Virginia  to  Boston,  twenty  years  before  he  became  the 
great  leader  of  the  Revolution. 

It  is  not  known  whether  Washington  was  simply  backward  in 
asking  for  her  hand  or  whether  he  was  actually  rejected.  At  any 
rate,  Colonel  Roger  Morris  was  the  successful  suitor,  and  shortly 


156 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


afterward  the  fashion,  the  rank,  the  beauty  and  the  scholarship  of 
Yonkers  were  assembled  at  the  manor-hall  to  celebrate  the  nuptials. 
Morris  had  been  a  fellow-soldier  with  Washington  on  the  field  of 
Monovgabela,  where  Braddock  fell,  in  the  summer  of  1755.  He 
built,  shortly  after  his  marriage,  the  fine  mansion  at  One  Hundred 
Sixtieth  Street  and  Edgecombe  Avenue,  which  was  the  residence, 
until  her  death  in  1865,  of  Madame  Jumel,  the  widow  of  Aaron 
Burr.  Morris  remained  loyal  to  the  crown,  and  when  Washington 
encamped  with  his  army  upon  Harlem  Heights  in  the  fall  of  1776, 
he  fled  for  safety,  and  Washington,  for  a  time,  made  this  mansion 
his  headquarters. 

The  Philipse  manor-house  was  erected  in  1682,  by  Frederick 
Philipse,  a  wealthy  shipowner,  who  had  fought  his  way  from  ob- 
scurity to  power  and  wealth,  having  been  a  poor  carpenter  lad  when 
he  landed  upon  these  shores  from  Holland.  He  abandoned  carpen- 
tering and  engaged  in  the  fur  business.  Fortune  smiled  upon  him 
when  he  married  Margaret  Hardenbroeck,  the  widow  of  a  rival  fur- 
trader,  Pietrus  Rudolphus  De  Vries.  She  not  only  was  a  great  help- 
mate, but  she  established  him  as  a  man  of  wealth  and  influence. 

Frederick  Philipse  secured  to  himself,  by  purchase  from  the 
Indians  and  grants  from  the  Dutch  government,  all  the  land  from 
Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  and  the  Harlem  River  on  the  south  to  the 
Croton  River  on  the  north,  and  between  The  Bronx  and  the  Hudson 
River  on  the  east  and  west.  In  1693  this  vast  estate  was  formally 
erected  by  royal  charter  into  a  manor  under  the  title  of  Philipse- 
borough  and  Philipse  was  invested  with  all  the  privileges  of  a  lord. 
It  embraced  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Yonkers  in  the  very 
heart  of  which  may  be  seen  the  pioneer  manor  house  erected  in 
1682.  In  this  pretentious  manor-hall  the  courtly  aristocracy  of  the 
province  were  wont  to  meet  in  gay  and  joyous  throng.  There  still 
swings  in  the  center  of  the  southern  front  a  dark,  massive  door 
which  was  manufactured  in  Holland  in  1681  and  imported  by  Mrs. 
Philipse.  This  old  manor-house  has  had  an  eventful  history.  It 
was  occupied  by  the  Philipse  family  until  1776,  when  the  "Third 
Lord  of  the  Manor"  fled  to  England  and  the  property  was  confis- 
cated by  the  Americans  in  1779. 

Frederick  Philipse,  the  third  and  last  lord  of  the  manor,  was 
a  graduate  of  King's  College,  and  was  a  scholarly  gentleman  with 
literary  tastes.  His  wife  was  a  devotee  of  fashion.  It  is  said  that 
it  was  her  pride  to  appear  on  the  roads  of  Westchester,  skilfully 


FORDHAM  MANOR 


157 


reining  four  jet-black  steeds  with  her  own  hands.  She  was  killed 
by  a  fall  from  her  carriage  shortly  before  the  war.  Frederick 
Philipse  tried  to  maintain  a  strict  neutrality  during  the  war  in 
order  to  protect  his  property;  but  he  failed,  for  he  was  a  loyalist 
at  heart.  Suspected  of  favoring  the  British,  he  was  compelled  to 
fly  for  safety  after  the  battle  of  White  Plains.  Washington  and 
his  generals  spent  several  nights  under  the  terraced  roof  of  the 
manor-hall.  It  is  said  that  Washington  occupied  the  southwestern 
chamber.  It  is  an  immense  place  and  has  an  old  fashioned  fireplace 
with  jambs  about  three  feet  deep,  and  faced  in  blue  and  white  tile 
bearing  scriptural  illustrations  and  appropriate  references.  The 
chimney — now  over  two  hundred  years  old — is  of  peculiarly  quaint 
construction,  and  has  a  secret  passageway  from  this  apartment  to 
some  underground  retreat.  The  bricks  of  which  it  was  built  were 
imported  from  Holland.  Until  a  few  years  ago  it  was  used  by  the 
municipal  authorities  of  Yonkers  for  its  City  Hall. 

That  Philipse  was  the  best-housed  man  in  the  colony  is  ap- 
parent, for  on  every  side  is  evidence  of  the  luxury  enjoyed  by  him 
and  those  coming  after  him.  The  old  house  contains  many  inter- 
esting relics  of  former  days.  The  "Wishing  Seat"  near  the  open 
fireplace  has  been  well  patronized  as  is  evidenced  by  its  hollow 
bottom.  In  the  council  room  there  is  a  bust  of  Washington;  also 
an  antique  chair,  said  to  have  been  used  by  him  when  he  had  his 
headquarters  there. 

Yonkers  is  a  very  old  Dutch  town,  and  began  its  existence  in 
the  days  of  New  Amsterdam,  as  the  Colony  of  Colen  Donck,  being 
the  property  of  Adrien  Van  Der  Donck,  who  in  1646,  obtained  title 
to  a  tract  of  land  extending  sixteen  miles  along  the  Hudson  River, 
north  of  Spuyten  Duyvil  and  thence  east  to  the  Bronx  River.  This 
tract  included  what  is  now  the  city  of  Yonkers,  and  the  entire 
southwestern  part  of  Westchester  County. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


HISTORIC  KINGSBRIDGE 

Fort  Independence  and  Other  Old  Fortifications — Story  of  General  Richard 
Montgomery,  the  Hero  of  Quebec. 

j^fb^         AT  the  unveiling  of  a  bronze  tablet,  marking  the 
Ifc,  ajfl  site  of  Fort  Number  One,  by  the  American  Scenic 

Y       and  Historic  Preservation  Society  upon  the  east 
side  of  the  handsome  residence  of  Mr.  William 
Mtk/.  J^atlk  Muschenheim  at  Spuyten  Duyvil  on  Novem- 

WtfJ/^HpF.      ber  5,  1010.  Lieutenant  Stephen  Jenkins,  author 
t~*  of  The  Story  of  The  Bronx,  who  delivered  the 

General  Richard  historical  address  at  the  exercises,  spoke  with- 
Montgomery  out  exaggeration  when  he  said:  "With  the  pos- 
sible exception  of  the  Mohawk  Valley,  the  Tyron 
County  of  Colonial  days  and  the  Lake  Champlain  region,  there  is 
no  section  in  New  York  State  which  possesses  such  romantic, 
legendary  and  historic  interest  as  the  County  of  Westchester,  par- 
ticularly the  Kingsbridge  section.  One  can  not  help  feeling  a 
thrill  as  one  travels  over  this  historic  ground.  Wherever  one  goes 
or  wherever  one  looks,  he  finds  something  of  historic  interest." 

The  Kingsbridge  section  was  a  bone  of  contention  dur- 
ing the  early  part  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  When 
the  question  of  taking  measures  for  the  defence  of  the 
Colonies  was  proposed  in  the  Continental  Congress,  a  discussion 
arose  that  was  long  and  earnest,  for  many  members  yet  hoped  for 
reconciliation.  On  the  very  day  that  a  British  reinforcement  at 
Boston  with  Howe,  Clinton,  and  Burgoyne  entered  that  harbor, 
Duane,  of  New  York  moved,  in  the  Committee  of  the  Whole,  the 
opening  of  a  negotiation,  in  order  to  accommodate  the  unhappy  dis- 
putes existing  between  Great  Britain  and  the  Colonies,  and  that 
this  be  made  a  part  of  the  petition  to  the  King.  But  more  deter- 
mined spirits  prevailed,  and  a  compromise  was  reached  on  the  25th 
of  May,  1775,  when  directions  were  sent  to  the  Provincial  Congress 
at  New  York  to  preserve  the  communications  between  the  City  of 

158 


* 


HISTORIC  KINGSBRIDGE 


159 


New  York  and  the  country  by  fortifying  posts  at  or  near  Kings- 
bridge. 

The  Provincial  Congress  at  New  York  appointed  a  committee 
consisting  of  Captain  Richard  Montgomery,  Henry  Glenn,  Robert 
Yates  and  Colonels  James  Van  Cortlandt  and  James  Holmes  (these 
last  two  of  Westchester  County,  both  of  whom  later  became  loyal- 
ists) "to  view  the  ground  at  or  near  Kingsbridge,  and  report  to 
this  Congress  whether  the  ground  near  Kingsbridge  will  admit  of 
making  a  fortification  there,  that  will  be  tenable." 


»                        »   -''           _m— -J                    "-■    ...  ii' 

i 

I 

! 

THE  FOUNDATION  OF-THIS-HOUSE  IS -A- PART- OF  > 

FORT;  NUMBER  ONE 

WHICH  WAS  ■  ERECTED  •  BY-  THE  •  CONTINENTAL- ARM Y 
IN-AUGUST- 1776 
OCCUP1ED  BY  THE  BR1TISH  N0VEMBER-71776 

DISMANTLED  IN  1779 
AND  REMAINED  "DEBATABLE  -  GROUND"  UNTIL 
THE- CLOSE- OFTHEAMERICANREVOLUTION 

I 

1 

1 

ONE •  OF- A  CHAIN •  OF-  EIGHT-  FORTS •  NORTH  AND  •  EAST-  OF 
SPUYTEN  DUYYIL- CREEK- AND  HARLEM-RIVER- EXTENDING 
FROM- THIS  POINT  TO  •  THE •  SITE •  OF-  NEW-YORK-  UNIVER SITY, 

t£j>                  ERECTED  BY  W-  C-  MUSCHENHEIM  •  1910 

! 

'                '                '                 ■                 ■                ■  -  -r-TrTTT=T 

1 

Bronze  Tablet,  Fort  Number  One 


The  committee  reported  June  3d,  1775,  and  recommended  that 
a  post  of  three  hundred  men  be  established  on  Marble  Hill,  near 
Hyatt's  tavern,  Manhattan,  and  selected  sites  on  Tetard's  Hill  to 
the  east  on  Tippet's  Hill  to  the  west  of  the  bridge  for  the  establish- 
ment of  redoubts  to  be  built  by  the  troops.  About  two  hundred 
and  fifty  cannon  of  all  shapes,  sizes  and  material  were  dragged 
from  the  city  to  Kingsbridge,  Williamsbridge  and  Fordham  Manor. 

In  every  circle  apprehension  was  felt  lest  Kingsbridge  should 
fall  into  the  hands  of  the  British  and  communication  with  the  rest 
of  the  country  be  cut  off.  Early  in  June,  1776,  Washington  himself, 
after  driving  Howe  out  of  Boston,  came  over  to  Kingsbridge.  He 


160 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


carefully  inspected  the  neighborhood,  and  selecting  seven  suitable 
sites  for  redoubts,  promptly  gave  orders  to  commence  the  work  of 
erecting  fortifications.  Two  of  these  redoubts — the  Cock  Hill  Fort 
overlooking  the  mouth  of  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek,  and  a  fort  on 
Marble  Hill,  afterwards  called  by  the  British,  Fort  Prince  Charles 
— were  on  the  island  of  Manhattan ;  the  remaining  five  were  in  the 
Borough. 

The  location  of  the  chain  of  fortresses  overlooking  the  valley 
of  Kingsbridge  which  have  been  designated  by  numerical  names 
by  the  British  who  captured  them  in  October,  1776,  is  as  follows : 

Number  One  forms  the  foundation  of  Mr.  W.  C.  Muschen- 
heim's  house  on  Spuyten  Duyvil  Hill,  west  of  the  junction  of 
Sydney  Street  and  Independence  Avenue.  It  was  a  square  stone 
redoubt  so  built  as  to  command  the  Hudson  and  Spuyten  Duyvil 
Creek. 

Number  Two  was  the  American  Fort  Swartout,  named  in  honor 
of  Colonel  Abraham  Swartout,  whose  regiment  built  it,  as  well  as 
a  small  battery  at  the  mouth  of  the  creek  near  the  site  of  the 
Spuyten  Duyvil  station  of  the  New  York  Central  and  Hudson  River 
Railroad.  This  battery  was  to  prevent  the  enemy  from  entering 
the  creek  in  boats.  It  was  a  small  circular  redoubt  on  the  crown 
of  Tippett's  Hill  northeast  of  the  intersection  of  Sydney  and  Troy 
Streets.    The  walls  still  remain. 

Number  Three,  a  small  stone  redoubt,  was  located  on  the  crest 
of  Spuyten  Duyvil  Hill  and  commanded  the  junction  of  the  Spuyten 
Duyvil  road  and  the  present  Riverdale  Avenue,  as  well  as  the  ex- 
treme northerly  end  of  Manhattan  Island  opposite  the  fort  on 
Marble  Hill,  called  Fort  Prince  Charles.  The  site  of  Fort  Number 
Three  is  occupied  by  the  Warren  Sage  house. 

Number  Four,  the  American  Fort  Independence,  was  the 
largest  and  perhaps  the  most  important  of  all.  It  was  situated  on 
the  farm  of  Captain  Richard  Montgomery,  on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  valley  formed  by  Tetard's  Hill  on  the  east  and  Tippett's  Hill 
on  the  west,  and  it  commanded  the  Boston  and  Albany  roads 
which  were  on  either  side  of  it.  It  was  built  of  bastioned 
earthwork  by  the  Pennsylvania  Line,  assisted  by  the 
militia,  under  the  direction  of  Colonel  Rufus  Putnam  who 
had  constructed  Fort  Washington.  On  October  28,  1776,  upon 
the  approach  of  the  Hessians  under  General  Knyphausen,  Colonel 
Lasher,  the  American  commander,  destroyed  the  barracks  and 


HISTORIC  KINGSBRIDGE 


1G1 


abandoned  the  fort,  leaving  behind  the  cannon  and  three  hundred 
stand  of  arms.  The  British  held  the  fort  until  September,  1779, 
when  their  troops  were  withdrawn  to  the  south.  The  site  of  Fort 
Independence  is  now  occupied  by  the  residence  of  the  late  William 
O.  Giles,  Esq.,  on  Giles  Place  near  Fort  Independence  Street ;  when 
the  cellar  was  dug  there  were  unearthed  eleven  cannon,  several 
cannon  balls,  calthorns  and  other  military  relics. 

Number  Five,  lately  restored  and  marked  by  a  flag-pole,  was 
a  square  redoubt  of  about  seventy  feet,  north  of  the  Claflin  stables, 
of  the  old  Tetard  farm,  and  commanded  the  Farmer's  Bridge.  It 
was  occupied  by  the  British  from  1777  to  September  18,  1779. 
Its  remains  can  be  seen  east  of  Sedgwick  Avenue  at  the  southwest 
corner  of  the  Jerome  Park  reservoir.  When  the  excavations  for 
the  reservoir  were  begun,  there  were  unearthed  cannon-balls, 
bayonets,  swords,  buttons  and  other  relics,  including  several  skele- 
tons. In  the  summer  of  1910,  Messrs.  Reginald  P.  Bolton,  Edward 
Hagaman  Hall,  and  W.  L.  Calver  excavated  the  ground  within  the 
old  redoubt  and  found  the  remains  of  brick  fire  places  and  regi- 
mental buttons  of  privates  of  the  13th  Pennsylvania  regiment  and 
of  the  following  British  infantry  regiments:  4th,  10th,  17th,  26th, 
28th,  44th,  52d,  54th,  57th,  64th  and  71st  Highlanders,  and  also 
an  officer's  button  of  the  17th  British. 

Number  Six,  also  called  by  the  British  the  "King's  Battery," 
was  situated  a  short  distance  west  of  the  present  road  to  High- 
bridge,  on  the  grounds  of  the  Bailey  estate  on  Fordham  Heights, 
adjoining  the  Kingsbridge  Road,  now  occupied  by  the  Roman 
Catholic  Orphan  Asylum.  The  remains  of  the  fort  were  about  380 
feet  northeast  of  the  Bailey  mansion.  In  excavating  for  the 
foundations  of  the  Asylum  buildings,  it  was  necessary  to  destroy 
the  old  redoubt.  Several  relics  of  the  British  occupation  were  un- 
earthed, among  them  some  coins  bearing  the  imprint  of  George  II., 
the  oldest  yet  found  within  the  Borough. 

Number  Seven,  no  trace  of  which  remains,  stood  on  the  Oswald 
Cammann  estate  at  Cammann  Place  and  Fordham  Road. 

Number  Eight,  which  was  located  on  Fordham  Heights  on  the 
grounds  of  the  present  New  York  University,  commanded  the  Har- 
lem River,  the  American  outwork  on  Laurel  Hill  (Fort  George), 
the  Kingsbridge  Road  from  Harlem,  and  the  northern  outworks 
of  Fort  Washington  at  Inwood,  afterwards  called  Fort  Tryon.  It 
was  maintained  by  the  British  about  three  years  longer  than  the 


162 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


other  posts,  and  it  served  to  protect  Colonel  De  Lancey's  canton- 
ment from  the  American  attacks.  It  also  guarded  the  pontoon 
bridge  over  the  Harlem  River  and  served  as  an  alarm  post  to  the 
garrisons  at  the  northern  end  of  Manhattan.  But  the  Americans 
did  not  heed  the  presence  of  the  fort,  and  made  many  raids  on 
De  Lancey's  corps.  When  the  Hessians  arrived  in  Kingsbridge  in 
November,  1776,  work  was  begun  upon  the  redoubt,  and  by  the 
fifteenth  of  the  month  it  was  ready  for  use.  The  following  day  an 
attack  upon  Fort  Washington  was  begun  by  Fort  Number  Eight, 
which  resulted  in  the  fall  of  the  former.  The  British  now  strength- 
ened Number  Eight  and  maintained  it  thruout  the  war.  Health 
writes  in  his  Memoirs:  "On  the  20th  of  October,  1782,  the  enemy 
were  demolishing  their  works  at  Number  Eight,  Morrisania."  In 
1857  the  late  Justus  H.  Schwab  built  his  residence  on  the  site  of 
the  old  redoubt.  When  the  old  fort  was  dug  up  many  relics  were 
unearthed  and  carefully  preserved.  Among  these  were  cannon- 
balls,  grape-shot,  English  coins,  uniform  buttons,  bridle  ornaments, 
pike  tips,  and  military  paraphernalia.  The  buttons  indicate  that 
the  fort  was  occupied  by  the  following  British  regiments,  or  de- 
tachments of  them:  8"th,  17th,  33d  (Lord  Cornwallis),  37th  (Eng- 
lish Muskateers),  38th,  45th,  74th,  and  76th  (Scotch).  The  Schwab 
mansion,  as  well  as  the  entire  Schwab  estate  was  acquired  in  1907 
by  the  New  York  University. 

In  October,  1776,  after  the  Battle  of  Pell's  Point  the  American 
troops  were  withdrawn  from  Kingsbridge  and  the  forts  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  British.  In  1779,  the  scene  of  hostilities  was 
shifted  to  the  south,  and  many  of  the  British  troops  were  with- 
drawn. By  the  middle  of  September  of  that  year  all  the  redoubts, 
with  the  exception  of  Number  Eight,  which  was  maintained  till 
the  end  of  the  war  as  a  base  for  operations  of  De  Lancey's  corps, 
were  demolished,  and  the  guns  and  stores  removed  to  Manhattan. 
None  of  these  redoubts  was  occupied  by  either  side  again,  except 
Fort  Independence,  which  was  occupied  for  a  few  days  by  General 
Lincoln  and  the  Marquis  de  Chastellux  during  the  grand  reconnais- 
sance of  the  allied  armies  in  the  summer  of  1781,  but  it  was  not 
restored  or  fortified. 

Interwoven  with  the  Kingsbridge  section  of  The  Bronx  is  the 
story  of  General  Richard  Montgomery,  who  had  a  farm  here,  and 
who  upon  his  death,  was  lauded  both  in  the  Continental  Congress 
and  in  the  British  Parliament. 


HISTORIC  KINGSBRIDGE 


163 


Richard  Montgomery  was  born  in  Ireland  December  2,  1736. 
He  entered  the  English  army  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  and  distin- 
guished himself  under  Wolfe  in  his  brilliant  conquests  in  the 
French  wars.  He  fought  with  the  colonists  in  five  important  cam- 
paigns, and  for  valiant  services  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
captain. 

He  returned  to  England,  but  his  claims  for  advancement  be- 
ing neglected,  he  sold  his  commission  in  1772,  and  the  following 
year  he  repaired  to  this  country.  He  purchased  a  farm  of  sixty- 
seven  acres  at  Kingsbridge,  where  he  soon  after  won  the  hand  of 
Janet,  daughter  of  Judge  Robert  R.  Livingstone.  In  May,  1775, 
he  reluctantly  yielded  up  his  domestic  happiness  and  consented  to 
act  as  delegate  to  the  first  Provincial  Congress  in  New  York  City; 
and  in  June  of  the  same  year  the  Continental  Congress  made  him 
a  brigadier-general  in  the  Continental  Army,  the  second  on  the 
list  of  eight,  and  the  only  one  not  from  New  England. 

It  was  discovered  that  Carleton,  the  British  Governor  of 
Canada  was  enlisting  the  French  peasantry  in  an  expedition  to  re- 
cover Ticonderoga.  The  Continental  Congress  therefore  decided 
to  occupy  that  province  as  an  act  of  self-defense.  The  command 
of  the  enterprise  was  assigned  to  General  Schuyler,  with  Mont- 
gomery second  in  command. 

Montgomery  was  regarded  with  pride  and  affection  as,  bidding 
farewell  to  his  lovely  home  and  recently  wedded  joys,  he  turned 
his  face  to  the  uninviting  northern  frontiers.  His  young  wife, 
who  accompanied  him  to  Saratoga,  little  thought  that  she  was  kiss- 
ing good-bye  for  the  last  time  this  princely  "soldier," — as  she  was 
fond  of  calling  him. 

Thru  the  illness  of  the  superior  officer,  the  entire  command 
devolved  upon  Montgomery.  With  a  force  of  1,000  men  he  captured 
the  fort  at  Chamblee  and  the  post  of  St.  John  on  November  3, 
took  Montreal  on  the  13th,  and  pushed  on  to  Quebec. 

Montgomery's  letters  display  his  noble  enthusiasm,  his  con- 
tempt for  cowardice  and  his  self-sacrificing  patriotism.  "The 
other  day,"  he  wrote  to  his  wife,  November  24,  1775,  "General 
Prescott  was  so  obliging  as  to  surrender  himself  and  fourteen  or 
fifteen  land  officers,  with  above  one  hundred  men,  besides  sea  of- 
ficers and  sailors,  prisoners  of  war.  I  blush  for  His  Majesty's 
troops!  Such  an  instance  of  base  poltroonery  I  have  never  met 
with!   And  all  because  we  had  a  half  a  dozen  cannon  on  the  bank 


164 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


of  the  river  to  annoy  him  in  his  retreat.  The  Governor  (Carle- 
ton)  escaped — more's  the  pity!   Prescott,  nevertheless,  is  a  prize." 

It  was  on  the  3d  of  December  that  Montgomery  made  a  junc- 
tion with  Benedict  Arnold,  and  soon  decided  to  carry  Quebec  by 
storm.  Arnold  with  rare  boldness  and  persistence  had  conducted 
a  detachment  of  Washington's  army  thru  a  tractless  wilderness 
of  nearly  three  hundred  miles.  Their  provisions  had  fallen  short 
towards  the  last  so  that  it  is  said  some  of  the  men  had  eaten  their 
dogs,  cartouch-boxes,  breeches  and  shoes.  They  had  lost  half  their 
number. 

Montgomery,  who  had  been  made  a  major-general  on  Decem- 
ber 9,  found  it  necessary  to  storm  Quebec  at  once.  He  was  un- 
provided with  means  for  a  prolonged  siege;  the  Canadian  winter 
was  drawing  on  with  all  its  rigor ;  the  army  was  being  reduced  by 
sickness ;  the  term  for  which  part  of  the  troops  had  enlisted  would 
expire  with  the  year,  and  they  already  talked  of  returning  home. 
Whatever  was  to  be  done  would  have  to  be  concentrated  within  the 
month  of  December. 

"Till  Quebec  is  taken  Canada  is  unconquered,"  he  wrote  to 
Congress.  To  his  wife  he  wrote :  "They  are  a  good  deal  alarmed  in 
town  (Quebec)  and  with  some  reason  ...  I  wish  it  were  well 
over,  with  all  my  heart,  and  sigh  for  home  like  a  New-Englander." 

The  attack  was  made  at  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  31st 
of  December  during  a  heavy  snow-storm,  Montgomery  himself 
leading  his  men  and  rallying  them  on.  "Forward,  men  of  New 
York!"  he  cried,  "you  will  not  fear  to  follow  where  your  general 
leads."  They  passed  the  first  barrier,  and  Montgomery  paused  for 
a  moment  to  cheer  his  troops:  "Push  on,  my  brave  boys.  Quebec 
is  ours !"  Suddenly  he  was  laid  low  with  his  two  aides  by  the  first 
and  only  discharge  of  the  British  artillery.  His  soldiers,  discour- 
aged by  the  loss  of  their  leader,  retreated  in  great  confusion. 

His  death  was  regarded  as  a  great  public  calamity  and  foes  and 
friends  alike  paid  tribute  to  his  valor.  The  governor,  the  lieuten- 
ant-governor of  Quebec,  and  all  the  principal  officers  of  the  garri- 
son, buried  him  with  the  honors  of  war.  At  the  news  of  his  death 
"the  City  of  Philadelphia  was  in  tears;  every  person  seemed  to 
have  lost  his  nearest  friend."  Congress  proclaimed  for  him  "their 
grateful  remembrance,  respect  and  high  veneration ;  and  desiring  to 
transmit  a  truly  worthy  example  of  patriotism,  conduct,  boldness 
of  enterprise  insuperable  perseverance,  and  contempt  of  danger 


HISTORIC  KINGSBRIDGE 


165 


and  death,"  they  reared  a  marble  tablet  in  front  of  St.  Paul's 
Church,  Broadway  and  Vesey  Streets,  New  York  City,  which  had 
been  procured  by  Franklin  in  France.  In  the  British  Parliament, 
Barre  wept  profusely  when  he  heard  of  Montgomery's  death. 
Burke  eulogized  him  as  the  hero,  who  in  one  campaign,  conquered 
two-thirds  of  Canada.  To  which  Lord  North  replied:  "I  can  not 
join  in  lamenting  the  death  of  Montgomery  as  a  public  loss.  Curse 
on  his  virtues!  He  was  brave,  able,  humane,  generous;  but  still 
he  was  only  a  brave,  able,  humane  and  generous  rebel."  "The 
term  rebel,"  retorted  Fox,  "is  no  certain  mark  of  disgrace.  All 
the  great  asserters  of  liberty,  the  saviors  of  their  country,  the 
benefactors  of  mankind  have  been  called  'rebels.'  We  owe  our 
constitution  which  enables  us  to  sit  in  this  house  to  a  rebellion." 

The  remains  of  Montgomery  were  removed  in  1818  in  com- 
pliance with  a  special  act  of  the  Legislature,  and  were  deposited 
near  the  monument  which  the  United  States  Government  had 
erected  in  his  memory.  The  ceremonies  were  conducted  on  a  most 
brilliant  scale.    The  tablet  bears  the  following  inscriptions: 

This  Monument  is  erected  by  the  order  of  Congress  25th  Janry,  1776, 
to  transmit  to  Posterity  a  grateful  remembrance  of  the  patriotism  conduct 
enterprize  &  performance 

of  Major  General  RICHARD  MONTGOMERY 
who  after  a  series  of  successes  amidst  the  most  discouraging  Difficulties 
Fell  in  the  attack  on 

QUEBEC.  31st  Decbr.,  1775.    Aged  37  Years. 

The  State  of  New  York 
Caused  the  Remains  of 
Maj.  Genl.  RICHARD  MONTGOMERY 
to  be  conveyed  from  Quebec 
and  deposited  beneath  this  Monument 
the  8th  day  of  July 
1818 

Montgomery's  will  is  still  extant  and  bears  the  signature  of 
Benedict  Arnold.  To  his  sister  Sarah,  Lady  Ranelagh,  he  left  his 
estate  of  Kingsbridge.  Doubt  is  cast  upon  the  genuineness  of  the 
Montgomery  house  on  Fort  Independence  Street.  Thomas  Henry 
Edsall,  the  historian  of  Kingsbridge,  states  that  the  original  house 
was  burned  and  completely  destroyed  by  the  British  during  the 
Revolution.    William  Ogden  Giles,  who  bought  the  property  and 


166  THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 

built  his  own  house  on  the  site  of  Fort  Independence,  which  had 
been  erected  on  the  Montgomery  farm,  maintained  that  it  is  the 
original  Montgomery  house,  and  pointed  to  the  fact  that  its  beams 
are  of  hewn  oak,  a  sure  sign  of  antiquity 


CHAPTER  XX 


THE  VAN  CORTLANDTS 

The  Old  Public-Spirited  Colonial  Family  Who  Figured  Prominently  in  Ameri- 
can History — Cortlandt  Manor  Founded,  1697 — Pierre  and  Philip  Van 
Cortlandt  Who  Scorned  England's  Promises  and  Favors  and  Espoused  the 
American  Cause. 

AN  CORTLANDT  PARK  perpetuates  the  name  of  the 
old  and  honorable  family  who  established  Cortlandt 
Manor,  and  who  played  a  prominent  part  in  New 
York  during  the  Colonial  and  Revolutionary  periods. 
Oloff  Stevenson  Van  Cortlandt,  the  founder  of  the 
family  in  America,  came  to  New  Amsterdam  in  the  same 
vessel  with  Kieft,  on  March  28,  1638,  as  an  officer  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  West  India  Company.  He  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  the 
Dukes  of  Courland  in  Russia.  When  deprived  of  the  duchy  of  Cour- 
land,  his  ancestors  emigrated  to  Holland.  The  family  name  was  Ste- 
vens, or  Stevenson,  van  (from)  Courland,  and  they  adopted  the  lat- 
ter as  a  surname,  the  true  orthography  in  Dutch  being  Kortelandt, 
signifying  "short-land."  Oloff  Stevenson  Van  Cortlandt  was  made 
a  commissary  of  the  shop,  or  customs  office,  in  1639,  and  he  had 
charge  of  the  public  stores  of  the  company  until  1648.  He  then 
became  a  merchant  and  brewer,  and  rose  to  the  position  of  being 
one  of  the  richest  men  in  New  Amsterdam.  In  1654,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Burgomaster  (mayor)  of  New  Amsterdam,  which  office 
he  held  almost  without  interruption  until  1664,  when  the  Dutch 
colony  was  surrendered  to  the  British.  He  died  in  New  York, 
April  4,  1687. 

Stephanus  Van  Cortlandt,  the  son  of  Oloff  S.  Van  Cortlandt, 
born  May  4,  1643,  became  at  the  age  of  thirty-four,  the  first  native- 
born  mayor  of  New  York  City,  and  held  that  office  almost  con- 
secutively till  his  death,  November  25,  1700.  At  the  time  of  Leis- 
ler's  Rebellion  (1689-1691),  he  was  one  of  the  Royal  Counsellors, 
and  having  opposed  Leisler,  the  self-styled  "Cromwell"  of  New 
York,  he  was  obliged  to  fly  from  the  city  to  avoid  imprisonment. 

167 


168 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Leisler  sent  a  constable  to  the  house  of  Mayor  Van  Cortlandt 
to  obtain  the  city  charter,  seals,  records,  etc.,  which  would  lend 
dignity  to  his  office.  Van  Cortlandt  was  not  at  home.  A  committee 
was  appointed  to  wait  upon  Mrs.  Van  Cortlandt  and  demand  them 
of  her.  She  received  the  committee  politely,  but  declined  to  give  up 
anything  which  had  been  left  in  her  care  by  her  husband.  A  ser- 
geant-at-arms  next  visited  her  but  when  she  learned  his  errand 
she  cooly  shut  the  door  in  his  face  and  defied  his  blustering  threats. 
An  effort  to  find  and  imprison  Van  Cortlandt  was  then  made,  but 
without  success.  Stephanus  Van  Cortlandt  lived  with  his  wife, 
the  beautiful  Gertrude  Schuyler,  daughter  of  the  mayor  of  Albany, 
on  the  corner  of  Broad  and  Pearl  Streets  until  his  estates  were 
erected  into  a  manor  by  patent  from  William  III.,  on  June  17,  1697, 
and  he  subsequently  built  the  first  Cortlandt  Manor  house  on  the 
shore  of  Croton  Bay.  The  main  portion  of  the  edifice  was  the  ori- 
ginal block-house  built  by  Governor  Dongan  in  the  early  part  of 
his  administration  as  a  rendezvous  for  fishing  parties  and  con- 
ferences with  the  Indians.  Stephanus  Van  Cortlandt,  who  in  1683 
was  appointed  by  the  King  of  England  one  of  Dongan's  privy  coun- 
cil, usually  accompanied  him  on  these  expeditions,  and  subsequently 
purchased  land  thereabouts  from  the  Indians — 85,000  acres,  ex- 
tending to  the  Connecticut  line.  The  block-house,  which  with  its 
solid  stone  walls  three  feet  thick,  and  loop-holes  for  musketry  pro- 
vided for  the  emergencies  of  life  in  a  savage  wilderness,  was  con- 
verted into  a  commodious  dwelling. 

The  lords. of  Cortlandt  had  the  privilege  of  sending  a  repre- 
sentative to  the  Provincial  Assembly,  and  the  manor  was  held  by 
a  feudal  tenure,  for  which  the  rent  of  forty  shillings  (about  $10.) 
was  paid  annually  to  the  crown  on  the  feast-day  of  the  Annuncia- 
tion. 

Jacobus  Van  Cortlandt  the  third  son  of  Oloff  Stevenson  Van 
Cortlandt,  and  the  seventh  and  younger  member  of  the  family, 
born  July  7,  1658,  was  a  member  of  the  first  three  William  and 
Mary  assemblies,  and  also  in  1702-1709.  He  was  the  mayor  of  New 
York  in  1710  and  also  in  1719.  He  was  a  large  landholder  and  one 
of  the  most  prominent  men  of  his  time.  He  married  Eva,  the 
adopted  daughter  of  Frederick  Philipse,  the  "Dutch  millionaire" 
and  lord  of  the  manor  of  Philipseburgh,  then  extending  along  the 
Hudson  River  from  below  the  present  site  of  Riverdale,  northerly 
to  the  mouth  of  Croton  River  above  Sing  Sing.    By  purchasing 


THE  VAN  CORTLANDTS 


169 


fifty  acres  of  land  on  George's  Point  from  his  father-in-law  and 
about  one  hundred  acres  from  the  neighboring  landowners,  Jaco- 
bus Van  Cortlandt  became  the  owner  of  the  chief  part  of  the  pres- 
ent City  of  Yonkers  lying  below  the  Philipseburgh  estate,  including 
the  present  Van  Cortlandt  Park,  Riverdale,  Kingsbridge,  etc.  The 
title  was  subsequently  confirmed  by  the  Indians  in  1701  for  "two 
fathoms  of  duffels  and  £1  2s  6d  ($5.62)  current  money  of  New 
York."  His  estate  in  Yonkers  was  bought  by  New  York, City  from 
his  descendants  and  was  made  part  of  Van  Cortlandt  Park. 

During  the  Revolution  the  proprietors  of  Van  Cortlandt  Manor, 
Pierre  and  his  son  Philip  Van  Cortlandt,  espoused  the  American 
cause  despite  the  fact  that  the  Philipses  and  the  younger  branches 
of  the  Van  Cortlandt  family  remained  Tories.  Augustus  Van  Cort- 
landt, grandson  of  Jacobus  and  ancestor  of  the  Yonkers  branch  of 
the  Van  Cortlandt  family,  was  a  loyalist.  On  August  18,  1776,  he 
was  obliged  to  flee,  for  he  had  been  warned  that  Tory-hunters  were 
on  their  way  to  capture  him.  While  he  was  concealed  in  a  cow- 
house for  ten  days,  a  conscientious  Dutch  farmer  walked  back- 
wards, when  he  carried  him  his  meals,  in  order  to  be  able  to  swear 
he  had  not  seen  him.  At  last  he  reached  the  British  lines  on  Staten 
Island  in  safety. 

The  staunchest  allies  of  Washington  during  his  critical  posi- 
tion in  New  York  were  Pierre  and  Philip  Van  Cortlandt.  Both 
father  and  son  had  nobly  declined  the  offers  of  royal  favors,  honors, 
grants  of  land,  and  if  they  would  abondan  the  popular  cause,  made 
by  Tryon  when  he  visited  them  at  the  old  manor-house  for  a  few 
days  in  1774.  The  younger  Van  Cortlandt  destroyed  a  major's 
commission  which  Tryon  had  sent  him. 

Pierre  Van  Cortlandt,  grandson  of  Stephanus,  was  born  in 
Cortlandt  Manor,  January  10,  1721.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
first  Provincial  Congress  of  New  York ;  chairman  of  the  Committee 
of  Public  Safety;  and  he  was  exceedingly  active  in  the  patriot 
cause.  He  was  one  of  the  thirty-eight  men  who  ratified  the  Dec- 
laration of  Independence  on  horseback  at  White  Plains,  on  the  9th 
of  July,  1776;  and  from  October  of  the  same  year,  when  elected 
vice-president  of  the  Convention,  was  almost  the  sole  presiding 
officer  of  that  heroic  body  until  it  completed  its  labors.  He  was  the 
first  Lieutenant-Governor  of  New  York  State,  to  which  office  he  was 
elected  in  1777,  and  he  acted  in  that  capacity  consecutively  for 
eighteen  years  until  he  declined  re-election.    Governor  Clinton  be- 


170 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


ing  much  absorbed  in  military  duties,  Van  Cortlandt  was  chief 
executive  and  civil  magistrate  during  a  greater  portion  of  the 
Eevolution.  So  obnoxious  was  he  to  the  British  government  that 
it  set  a  bounty  on  his  head.  His  undismayed  faithfulness  when 
driven  from  his  estates,  and  when  adverse  clouds  darkened  the 
entire  horizon  proved  a  source  of  inspiration  among  all  classes  in 
the  State  of  New  York.  He  died  in  Cortlandt  Manor,  May  1,  1814. 

Philip  Van  Cortlandt,  son  of  Pierre,  was  born  September  1, 
1749,  and  died  unmarried  at  the  Van  Cortlandt  manor-house,  No- 
vember 21,  1831.  He  was  graduated  from  King's  College  in  1758 
when  he  became  a  land  surveyor.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  was 
elected  to  the  Provincial  Assembly  which  met  in  New  York  City, 
May  23,  1775,  to  choose  delegates  to  the  Continental  Congress.  He 
was  later  appointed  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  American  army,  and 
he  commanded  the  regiment  detailed  to  guard  the  public  stores 
at  Peekskill.  In  the  spring  of  1776,  he  was  on  duty  at  Ticonderoga, 
and  a  member  of  a  court-martial  for  the  trial  of  Moses  Hazen, 
charged  by  Benedict  Arnold  for  disobedience  of  orders.  "I  re- 
mained," he  wrote  in  one  of  his  letters,  "long  enough  to  discover 
the  vile  conduct  of  Arnold  in  procuring  a  vast  quantity  of  goods 
from  the  merchants  of  Montreal,  which  he  intended  for,  and  which 
I  believe  was  appropriated  to  his  own  use.  For  this,  and  also  for 
improper  conduct  before  the  court,  he  would  have  been  arrested 
himself,  but  escaped  by  procuring  an  order  from  General  Gates 
to  send  me  the  morning  after  the  court  adjourned,  to  Schenes- 
borough  (Whitehall)  by  which  means  the  court  was  dissolved  and 
Arnold  escaped." 

Philip  Van  Cortlandt  fought  gallantly  at  Bemus  Heights  and 
at  Saratoga.  The  Battle  of  Saratoga,  which  resulted  in  the  sur- 
render of  Burgoyne,  October  17,  1777,  was  a  decisive  battle  in  the 
war,  for  henceforward  the  Americans  were  no  longer  "rebels"  but 
patriots  fighting  against  oppression  and  wrong.  The  British  were 
beginning  to  fear  imminent  disgrace,  and  the  talk  of  reconciliation 
became  prominent  in  Parliament. 

In  1778,  he  was  sent  to  protect  the  New  York  frontiers  against 
the  Indians  under  Brant,  and  in  1780  he  was  one  of  the  Court- 
martial  convened  in  Philadelphia  to  try  Benedict  Arnold  for  im- 
proper conduct.  Arnold  had  been  living  in  high  style  and  gave 
sumptuous  entertainments  at  a  time  when  his  accounts  with  the 
government  were  as  yet  unsettled.    He  was  known  to  have  made 


THE  VAN  CORTLANDTS 


171 


temporary  use  of  the  public  moneys  passing  thru  his  hands. 
He  had  married  Margaret  Shippen  whose  family  were  not  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  American  cause.  And  yet  Arnold  was  a  crippled 
soldier  who  had  fought  bravely  at  Quebec  and  in  other  significant 
battles.  It  was  not  therefore  surprising  that  he  was  let  off  with 
a  reprimand  which  Washington  administered  with  consummate  deli- 
icacy.  But  Philip  Van  Cortlandt  and  the  four  other  officers  who  had 
served  on  the  Hazen  trial  knew  well  the  true  character, of  the  one 
who  so  soon  afterwards  turned  out  to  be  a  despicable  traitor.  "We 
voted  for  cashiering  him,"  wrote  Van  Cortlandt  in  his  diary,  "but 
were  overruled  by  a  sentence  of  reprimand.  Had  they  all  known 
what  we  knew  he  would  have  been  dismissed  the  service." 

In  1780,  Philip  Van  Cortlandt  commanded  a  regiment  under 
Lafayette;  was  with  him  at  Virginia;  and  for  his  gallant  conduct 
at  Yorktown  was  promoted  to  brigadier-general.  With  the  con- 
clusion of  the  War,  he  did  not  retire  and  live  on  the  fat  of  his  lands, 
but  he  continued  in  the  public  service.  He  became  a  Commissioner 
of  Forfeitures  of  the  counties  of  Westchester,  Richmond,  Kings, 
Queens,  and  Suffolk,  and  the  first  supervisor  of  the  town  of  Cort- 
landt in  1788.  He  served  in  both  branches  of  the  New  York  legis- 
lature, and  he  was  also  a  delegate  of  the  State  convention  that 
adopted  the  National  Constitution.  He  was  member  of  Congress 
from  1793  to  1809,  and  a  presidential  elector  in  1812.  He  was  one 
of  the  original  members  of  the  Cincinnati,  and  its  first  treasurer. 

He  was  on  terms  of  intimacy  with  Lafayette  and  he  accom- 
panied him  thru  the  United  States  on  his  memorable  tour  in 
1824.  His  personal  resemblance  to  Lafayette  was  on  one  occasion 
turned  to  decided  advantage.  At  a  large  reception  Lafayette,  be- 
coming weary  of  handshaking,  suddenly  disappeared,  leaving 
Van  Cortlandt  as  his  substitute.  The  multitude  did  not  discover 
the  change  and  went  away  satisfied  with  having,  as  they  supposed, 
grasped  the  hand  of  the  French  nobleman. 

Pierre  Van  Cortlandt,  Jr.,  son  of  the  Lieutenant-governor, 
was  fond  of  recounting  his  first  meeting  with  Washington.  Being 
a  lad  of  fourteen  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  he  was  sent  to  the 
new  college  at  New  Brunswick  for  his  education.  His  father  wrote 
him  a  letter  introducing  him  to  Washington  who  was  then  in  New 
Jersey.  Young  Pierre  presented  the  letter,  but  his  courage  oozed 
away  in  the  stately  presence,  and  when  invited  to  dinner  the  next 
day  he  stammered  a  faint  "Yes."    When  the  time  drew  nigh  for 


172 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


him  to  appear  again  before  the  great  personage,  he  was  overcome 
with  timidity  and  after  going  a  little  way  towards  headquarters, 
he  turned  about  and  ran  home.  The  next  morning  he  accidentally 
met  Washington,  who,  before  the  youngster  could  escape,  exclaimed, 
"Master  Cortlandt,  where  were  you  yesterday?"  The  boy  tried 
to  articulate  an  excuse.  "Master  Cortlandt,"  interrupted  Wash- 
ington with  grave  solemnity,  "Mrs.  Washington  and  myself  ex- 
pected you  at  dinner  yesterday ;  we  waited  a  few  moments  for  you ; 
you  inconvenienced  my  family  by  failing  to  keep  your  word:  you 
are  a  young  lad,  Master  Cortlandt,  and  let  me  advise  you,  hereafter, 
when  you  make  a  promise  or  an  engagement,  never  fail  to  keep  it. 
Good  morning,  Master  Cortlandt!" 


CHAPTER  XXI 


PELHAM  AND  WESTCHESTER 

Thomas  Pell  the  Founder  of  Pelham  Manor — The  Glittering  Pageant  of  Lord 
Howe's  Troops  to  Impress  the  Westchesterites  with  the  Strength  of  the 
British  Army — History  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  Westchester. 

PELHAM  MANOR  derived  its  name  from 
Thomas  Pell,  the  first  permanent  settler  of 
that  region.    Thomas  Pell  was  an  English 
gentleman  and  an  ardent  royalist.  Previ- 
ous to  his  coming  to  America  he  had  been 
Gentleman  of  the  Bedchamber  to  Charles 
I.     Obliged  to  leave  the  colony  of  New 
Haven  because  he  refused  to  swear  allegi- 
anc<i  on  the  ground  that  he  had  already 
taken  oath  in  England,  he  came  to  West- 
Rev.  Isaac  Wilkins     Chester,  where,  on  November  14,  1657,  he 
purchased    from    the    Indian  sachems, 
Maminepoe  and  Annhooke,  9,166  acres  including  the  estate  form- 
erly owned  and  occupied  by  Anne  Hutchinson. 

In  the  center  of  a  large  field  in  front  of  the  Bartow  mansion, 
now  the  summer  home  of  the  Crippled  Children's  Association,  are 
the  remains  of  the  Pell  Treaty  Oak,  where  Thomas  Pell  smoked 
the  pipe  of  peace  with  the  Siwanoy  Indian  chiefs  after  signing  the 
deed  which  gave  him  possession  of  "all  that  tract  of  land  called 
Westchester  which  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  .  .  .  Gravelly 
Brook,  and  so  running  northward  .  .  .  about  eight  miles,  thence 
west  to  ...  a  certain  bend  in  Bronck's  River,  thence  by  marked 
trees  south  until  it  reaches  the  tide  waters  in  the  Sound  .  .  . 
together  with  all  the  islands  lying  beyond  that  tract." 

The  village  of  Westchester,  which  was  called  by  the  Dutch 
Oostdorp  (East  Farms  in  contradistinction  to  West  Farms),  while 
the  whole  region  was  known  as  Vriedelandt  (Land  of  Peace),  had 
been  included  in  the  Dutch  purchase  of  1640.  When  the  news  of  the 
Pell  purchase  reached  Governor  Stuyvesant,  he  despatched,  on 

173 


174 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


April  19,  1655,  Marshall  Claes  Van  Elslant  to  warn  "Thomas  Pell 
and  other  trespassers"  that  the  same  land  had  already  been  bought 
of  the  Indians  and  paid  for  by  other  parties,  and  to  order  the  in- 
truders to  leave  the  spot.  When  Van  Elslant  arrived  at  Oostdorp 
on  the  twenty-second,  he  was  confronted  by  a  band  of  armed  men. 
Undaunted,  he  jumped  ashore,  and  tho  at  once  made  prisoner,  he 
read  the  writ  and  then  handed  it  to  Pell,  who  said : 

"I  cannot  understand  Dutch;  why  did  not  the  Fiscal  send  it  in 
English?  If  you  send  it  in  English  then  I  shall  send  an  answer 
in  writing.  But  it's  no  matter;  we  expect  the  ships  from  England 
and  Holland  which  are  to  bring  the  settlement  of  the  boundary." 

The  marshal  was  later  released  and  permitted  to  return  to 
New  Amsterdam. 

Stuyvesant  then  planned  an  expedition  to  surprise  the  in- 
truders at  night,  drive  them  from  Oostdorp  and  burn  their  houses. 
The  expedition,  however,  did  not  set  out  until  March  6,  1656.  When 
the  Dutch  reached  Oostdorp  eight  days  later,  they  found  the  set- 
tlers prepared  for  them;  but  they  soon  disarmed  them  and  took 
twenty-three  of  them  prisoners  to  New  Amsterdam.  Yielding  to 
the  pleadings  of  the  wives  of  the  prisoners  the  Dutch  released  them 
upon  their  payment  of  the  expenses  of  the  expedition  and  their 
promising  to  leave  the  colony  within  six  weeks. 

On  the  sixteenth  of  March,  the  settlers  drew  up  a  petition 
to  the  Dutch,  praying  permission  to  remain  at  Oostdorp  and  offer- 
ing allegiance  to  "the  Governor  of  the  Manattas,"  provided  that 
they  be  permitted  to  manage  their  local  affairs.  This  the  governor 
and  council  forthwith  granted,  content  with  the  establishment  of 
their  claim  to  the  Vriedelandt. 

For  eight  years  the  settlers  of  Westchester  remained  under 
Dutch  jurisdiction.  On  March  23,  1664,  Charles  II.,  as  a  prelim- 
inery  step  toward  declaring  war  with  Holland,  vested  in  his 
brother  James,  the  Duke  of  York  and  Albany,  the  Dutch  province 
of  New  Netherland.  The  Duke  of  York  accordingly  organized  an 
expedition,  consisting  of  four  ships  and  four  hundred  and  fifty  land 
troops,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Richard  Nicolls,  accom- 
panied by  Governor  John  Winthrop  of  Connecticut. 

The  ships  reached  New  Amsterdam  on  September  6,  1664, — 
just  about  the  time  when  the  settlers  of  Westchester  were  peti- 
tioning the  New  England  authorities  to  aid  them  in  overthrowing 
the  Dutch  claims  to  their  property.    Stuyvesant  and  his  council- 


PELHAM  AND  WESTCHESTER 


175 


lors,  realizing  their  unpreparedness  for  war  and  the  superiority  of 
the  invading  English,  surrendered  to  Nicolls  without  any  show 
of  resistance. 

Colonel  Nicolls  became  Governor  of  New  York,  and  all  those 
who  held  deeds  from  the  Dutch  Company  were  given  new  ones  in 
the  name  of  the  Duke  of  York.  Pell's  purchase  of  1654  was  oc- 
cordingly  confirmed  on  October  6,  1666,  by  the  governor,  and  a 
patent  was  granted  him  creating  him  Lord  of  Pelham  Manor,  "as 
if  he  had  held  the  same  immediately  from  his  majesty  the  King  of 
England."  The  annual  quit-rent  was  a  lamb  "if  the  same  shall  be 
demanded." 

Pell's  possession  comprised  9,166  acres.  Of  this  tract  John 
Pell,  nephew  of  the  first  owner,  sold  6,100  acres  to  Governor 
Leisler  in  1688  for  the  Huguenot  settlement  of  New  Rochelle,  now 
the  city  of  that  name  in  Westchester  County.  Pelham  township, 
of  the  same  county,  was  also  part  of  the  original  Pelham  Manor. 
The  portion  belonging  to  the  Borough  comprises  what  was  once 
Annes  Hoeck  (later  called  Pell's  Neck)  and  Rodman's  Neck,  as 
well  as  Hunter,  Twin,  Hart,  High  and  City  Islands. 

Thomas  Pell  died  in  September,  1669,  at  Fairfield,  Connecticut. 
He  bequeathed  "his  lands  and  houses  in  any  part  of  New  England, 
or  in  ye  territoryes  of  ye  Duke  of  York,"  to  John  Pell,  in  England, 
the  only  son  of  his  only  brother,  the  Rev.  Dr.  John  Pell.  This  John 
Pell,  who  is  supposed  to  have  been  lost  in  his  yacht  off  City  Island 
in  1702,  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Thomas,  whose  descendants  were 
proprietors  of  Pelham,  down  to  the  fourth  and  last  lord  of  the 
manor,  who  died  in  1776. 

The  original  Pell  manor-house  was  situated  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Eastern  Boulevard,  near  the  present  Bartow  mansion, 
tho  another  authority  says  it  was  located  on  the  extreme  end 
of  Pelham  Neck.  The  story  runs  that  while  Pell  was  looking 
for  a  site  to  build  his  dwelling  he  noticed  nests  of  fish-hawks  in  the 
oaks  and  chestnuts  near  Pelham  Neck.  He  was  at  that  time 
possessed  of  a  superstition  that  where  this  bird  nested  there  good 
luck  would  come.  The  word  Pelham  is  formed  from  Pell  and  Ham 
(Home) . 

Between  the  Bartow  mansion  and  the  Sound  is  the  Pell  family 
burial  ground.  The  four  stone  corner-posts  bear  the  coat-of-arms 
of  the  Pell  family — a  Pelican  Gorged — and  each  has  a  different 
inscription,  as  follows: 


176 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


North: 
Indian  Grant 
of 

Pelham  Manor 
to 

THOMAS  PELL 
Nov.  14,  1654. 


East: 
Pelham  Bay  Park 
1884 
Erected  1891 
by  descendants  of 
BENJAMIN  PELL 

GRANDSON  OF 

THOMAS  PELL 
Lord  of  the  Manor 


South : 
Royal  Patent 
Oct.  25,  1687. 
James  II. 
to 

JOHN  PELL 
2nd  Lord  of  the  Manor 
First  Judge,  1688 
and  First  Member 
Provincial  Assembly 
1691 

of  Westchester  County 

West: 
Royal  Patent 

Oct.  6,  1666. 
Duke  of  York 
to 

THOMAS  PELL 
1st  Lord  of  the  Manor 


The  large  stone  in  the  center  was  erected  in  1862  by  James 
K.  Pell  and  it  is  inscribed: 

"This  stone  is  placed  here  in  token  of  respect  for  the  memory  of  .  .  . 
several  of  the  descendants  of  John  Pell,  who  was  born  in  the  year  1643  and 
died  in  the  year  1700,  the  son  of  the  Rev.  John  Pell,  D.D.  and  the  nephew 
of  Thomas  Pell,  the  first  proprietor  of  the  Lordship  and  manor  of  Pelham, 
born  in  the  year  1G03 1  and  died  in  the  year  1669." 

The  oldest  inscription  reads : 

"HER  LYES  ISEC  PELL  D.  DEC.  14,  ANNO  1748." 

On  the  other  side  of  Split  Rock  Road  or  Collins  Lane  along 
which  the  Americans  retreated,  stands  the  pre-Revolutionary  Col- 
lins mansion  or  Joshua  Pell  house  which  is  fast  crumbling  away. 
At  the  foot  of  Prospect  Hill  is  the  finest  Pell  mansion  of  all,  now 
remodeled  and  modernized.  The  splendid  group  of  pine  trees  sur- 
rounding the  house,  shade  the  magnificent  columns  on  either  side 
of  the  doorway.  The  unique  iron  lattice-work  forms  a  pretty  bal- 
cony.  On  the  opposite  side  can  be  seen  the  family  coat-of-arms. 

At  the  corner  of  Wolf's  Lane  and  Boston  Road  is  another 
modernized  Pell  house  where  it  is  said  Howe  and  his  officers  seized 
the  very  last  turkey  of  the  people  living  there  and  dined  unbidden. 


PELHAM  AND  WESTCHESTER 


177 


In  the  woods  not  far  from  the  large  stone  Pell  mansion  is  the  "Lord 
Howe  chestnut"  beneath  whose  unbrageous  branches  Lord  Howe 
and  his  officers  lunched  with  a  number  of  Westchester  loyalists 
whom  he  had  invited  for  the  occasion.  On  the  morning  of  October 
23,  1776,  Westchester  County  beheld  a  most  magnificent  pageant. 
Preparatory  to  pursuing  Washington  towards  White  Plains,  Lord 
Howe  drew  up  for  review  his  entire  army  consisting  of  about  10,- 
000  men  each  clad  in  his  Sunday  uniform.  The  soft  green  of  the 
Hessians  formed  a  charming  contrast  with  the  brilliant  scarlet 


Lord  Howe  Chestnut 


of  the  British  regulars,  while  the  bright  arms  of  the  troops  glis- 
tened in  the  sunlight.  After  riding  along  the  lines  to  inspect  the 
army,  Howe  and  his  officers  with  the  loyalist  gentlemen,  sat  down 
at  noon  to  partake  of  some  refreshments.  "Let  us  hope,  however," 
we  read,  "that  the  meal  of  these  fine  gentlemen  was  not  spoiled 
by  the  presence  of  that  rough  old  German,  the  Count  Von  Kny- 
phausen,  who  tho  a  dashing  soldier  and  a  brave  man,  was  no 
courtier  and  anything  but  a  pleasant  dining  companion." 

Pelham  Neck,  which  was  called  by  the  Dutch  Annes  Hoeck,  or 
Ann's  Neck,  is  situated  between  the  Sound  on  the  north  and  East- 
chester  Bay  on  the  south,  and  is  the  largest  of  all  the  necks  in  the 


178 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Borough.  The  end  of  the  neck  opposite  City  Island  with  which  it  is 
connected  by  a  bridge,  is  known  as  Rodman's  Neck,  after  Samuel 
Rodman  who  purchased  it  from  one  of  the  manor-lords  of  Pelham. 
It  is  separated  from  the  mainland  by  salt  meadows  over  which  the 
tide  ebbs  and  flows.  The  City  Island  road  passes  over  the  meadows 
on  a  causeway. 

Hunter's  Island,  which  was  originally  part  of  the  manor  of 
Pelham  and  is  now  included  in  Pelham  Bay  Park,  was  sold  by 
Joshua  Pell  to  the  Hunts  and  Hendersons,  and  after  the  latter  it 
was  at  one  time  known  as  Henderson's  Island.  In  the  latter  part 
of  the  eighteenth  century  it  came  into  the  possession  of  John 
Hunter,  of  Scotch  descent,  from  whom  the  island  received  its  pres- 
ent name.  On  the  crest  of  the  island  is  the  Iselin  mansion,  which 
had  been  erected  about  1850  by  Elias  des  Brosses  Hunter,  son  of 
John  Hunter,  but  which  was  owned  by  Columbus  Iselin  at  the  time 
Pelham  Bay  Park  was  formed  in  1888.  This  mansion  is  now  used  as 
the  summer  home  of  the  "Little  Mothers"  Society  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church.  Opposite  the  gate-posts  is  the  Hunter's  Island 
Inn,  formerly  the  mansion  belonging  to  Elizabeth  De  Lancey,  a 
daughter  of  Elias  des  Brosses  Hunter.  It  is  said  that  Joseph 
Bonaparte  offered  a  large  sum  for  Hunter's  Island  before  making 
his  home  at  Bordentown,  New  Jersey. 

On  the  southeast  side  of  the  island  are  the  great  Indian  rock 
"Mishow," — around  which  the  Indians  used  to  conduct  their  reli- 
gious and  other  rites, — and  the  graves  of  two  Indian  sachems.  On 
the  northeast  is  a  great  boulder  known  as  the  "Gray  Mare."  Many 
Indian  relics  have  been  found  in  the  neighborhood,  including  ar- 
rows and  javelins  of  flint,  quartz,  and  horn,  and  hatchets  and 
tomahawks  of  stone.  The  Indian  name  for  the  entire  region  was 
Laaphaivachking  (the  place  of  stringing  beads). 

Passing  the  white  stone  gate-posts  on  the  Eastern  Boulevard, 
the  road  on  which  the  Boston  Mansion  is  situated,  we  reach  the 
causeways  connecting  the  two  small  islands  called  the  "Twins" 
with  Hunter's  Island.  One  of  the  grandest  marine  views  can  be 
soon  from  the  Ogden  mansion  on  the  outer  Twin  Island. 

In  August,  1814,  during  the  War  of  1812,  an  engagement  took 
place  off  Pelham  and  New  Rochelle  between  the  American  gun- 
boats and  the  British  warships.  What  saved  the  Americans  was 
the  knowledge  of  the  many  rocks  and  reefs  hereabouts.  There  is 
a  story  current  among  the  old  residents  that  one  of  the  Schuylers 


PELHAM  AND  WESTCHESTER 


179 


who  resided  in  Pelham  was  upset  in  his  boat  not  far  from  City 
Island.  When  picked  up  by  passing  craft  he  was  found  calmly  sit- 
ting on  the  bottom  of  the  capsized  boat,  smoking  his  pipe  which  he 
somehow  managed  to  keep  lit. 

One  of  the  landmarks  in  Westchester  is  St.  Peter's  Church 
on  Westchester  Avenue.  The  present  building  is  the  fourth  on 
this  site,  the  first  having  been  erected  in  1700  when  the  trustees 
resolved  "to  build  a  church  twenty-eight  feet  square,  with  a  terret 
on  top"  for  a  bell  tower.    It  stood  on  the  old  Town  Green,  close  to 


St.  Peter's  Church,  Westchester 


the  former  County  Court  House,  about  on  the  site  of  the  present 
Sunday  School  building.  It  was  used  as  a  church  until  1788,  when 
it  was  in  such  bad  condition  after  the  Revolution  that  it  was  sold 
to  Mrs.  Sarah  Ferris  who  removed  it. 

St.  Peter's  was  established  in  accordance  with  the  Royal  direc- 
tion received  by  the  Governor  of  the  Province  of  New  York : 

"You  shall  take  an  especial  care  that  God  Almighty  be  devoutly  and  duly 
served  thruout  ye  Government,  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  as  it  is  now  es- 
tablished read  each  Sunday  and  Holy  day  and  the  blessed  Sacrament  adminis- 
tered according  to  the  rites  of  the  Church  of  England." 


180 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


On  the  12th  day  of  September,  1693,  "An  Act  for  settling  a 
Ministry  and  raising  a  maintenance  for  them"  was  introduced  in  the 
General  Assembly,  the  preamble  of  which  read,  "Whereas  Profane- 
ness  and  Licentiousness  hath  of  late  overspread  this  Province  for 
want  of  a  settled  Ministry  thruout  the  same,  To  the  end  the 
same  may  be  removed  and  the  Ordinances  of  God  daily  admin- 
istered." Despite  the  heavy  charge  expressed  in  the  preamble,  the 
legislators  were  indifferent.  The  act,  however,  was  passed  on  the 
21st  September  thru  the  efforts  of  Governor  Renjamin  Fletcher, 
who  was  characterized  by  the  Indians  Cajenquirogoe  (the  Lord 
of  the  Great  Swift  Arrow)  ;  Mr.  Jones  Graham,  the  Speaker  of 
the  House;  and  Colonel  Caleb  Heathcote  who  was  later  the  first 
Warden  of  the  Parish  (1695)  and  in  1711  Mayor  of  the  City  of 
New  York. 

The  Act  in  its  provisions  comprehended  the  City  of  New  York 
and  the  three  counties  of  Richmond,  Westchester  and  Queens.  In 
the  County  of  Westchester  were  formed  two  precincts  the  first 
including  the  towns  of  Westchester,  Eastchester,  Yonkers,  and 
the  Manor  of  Pelham;  the  second  embraced  the  towns  of  Rye, 
Mamaroneck  and  Redford. 

In  1694,  at  a  town  meeting  at  Eastchester,  it  was  resolved  that 
"Lift  John  Drake  and  Henry  Fowler  Senr."  be  chosen  to  act  "in 
their  behalf  ...  in  the  business  according  to  the  warrant  of 
procuring  a  minister."  On  the  2d  day  of  May  of  the  following  year 
Mr.  Warren  Mather,  a  dissenting  preacher  was  settled  among 
them.  Col.  Heathcote,  the  first  Church  Warden  protested  that 
they  had  no  right  "to  pay  for  the  maintenance  of  any  minister  not 
of  the  National  Church."  In  1700  a  bill  was  passed  making  East- 
chester a  separate  parish  and  Mr.  Joseph  Morgan,  another  dis- 
senter, was  settled. 

On  the  Festival  of  St.  Michael  and  All  Saints,  1702,  the  Rev. 
John  Bartow,  the  Propagation  Society's  missionary  arrived  in 
New  York.  He  was  sent  to  take  charge  of  the  Upper  Parish  of 
the  County  (Rye,  Mamaroneck  and  Redford)  but  he  stopped  at 
Westchester  with  Col.  Graham,  who  had  framed  the  Act  of  1693. 
He  was  invited  by  the  people  to  give  a  sermon  on  the  next  Sabbath 
Day,  October  3d.  After  the  service  Col.  Heathcote,  Col.  Graham 
and  other  chief  inhabitants  begged  Mr.  Rartow  to  stay  among  them, 
to  which  Mr.  Rartow  assented  provided  the  change  should  receive 


PELHAM  AND  WESTCHESTER 


181, 


the  Governor's  approval.  This  was  obtained,  and  on  December 
6th,  a  memorable  day  for  Westchester,  he  was  inducted. 

About  this  time  William  and  Mary  vetoed  the  Act  of  Separa- 
tion. Eastchester  chafed  under  his  judgment.  "Some,"  said  Mr. 
Bartow  afterwards,  "had  given  out  threatening  words  should  I  dare 
to  come."  But  one  summer  Sunday  morning  in  1703,  Mr.  Bartow 
made  his  appearance  in  the  little  shingle-sided  meeting  house  at 
Eastchester.  In  the  afternoon  he  performed  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land service,  Mr.  Morgan  himself  being  present  and  neither  he  nor 
the  people  seemed  dissatisfied.  "On  coming  among  them,"  says 
Mr.  Hawkins,  the  Secretary  of  the  Propagation  Society,  "they  were 
so  well  satisfied  with  the  liturgy  and  doctrine  of  the  Church  of 
England,  that  they  forsook  their  minister  and  conformed  to  the 
Church  of  England." 

To  Mr.  Bartow's  twenty-three  years  of  faithful  service  both 
St.  Peter's  of  Westchester  and  St.  Paul's  of  Eastchester  owe  their 
solid  foundation. 

The  inscription  on  a  tablet,  the  gift  of  Morey  Hale  Bartow, 
in  St.  Peter's  Church  reads: 

"He  was  a  faithful  one  in  Christ.  Reverend  John  Bartow,  first  Rector 
of  this  Parish  .  .  .  was  sent  to  America  as  a  missionary  and  settled  over 
the  Parish  from  November  19,  1702,  until  his  death,  at  this  place,  February 
9,  1726." 

* 

In  1762  the  members  of  the  congregation  secured  from  George 
III.  a  charter  styled,  "The  Royal  Charter  of  St.  Peter's  Church  in 
the  Borough  Town  of  West  Chester." 

In  1790  a  much  larger  and  more  imposing  edifice  was  erected 
which  sixty-four  years  afterward  was  burned  to  the  ground.  A 
third  structure  met  with  a  similar  fate.  The  present  St.  Peter's 
is  a  modern  stone  building,  imposing,  and  beautiful.  The  chime 
of  bells  is  said  to  have  been  presented  in  the  time  of  Queen  Anne. 

The  oldest  head-stone  in  St.  Peter's  churchyard  dates  back  to 
1702.  Some  of  the  prominent  families  interred  there  are — Costers, 
Honeywells,  who  came  to  Westchester  in  1693  and  whose  descend- 
ants are  still  here.  Waterburys,  Valentines,  Morrises,  McNeils, 
Setons,  Simpsons,  Wilkins,  Hoffmans,  Bayards,  Desbrosses,  Hunts, 
Boltons,  Delanceys,  Powells,  Lorillards  and  Bartows. 

Near  St.  Peter's  burying-ground  is  the  Ferris  graveyard,  also 
known  as  the  Pasture  Hill  Burying  Ground  where  are  the  family 


182 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


vaults  of  Benjamin  Ferris,  also  numerous  headstones  to  the  Pell 
family. 

Beyond  the  Sunday  School  building,  a  short  distance  south 
of  the  church,  stood  the  ancient  Orthodox  Quaker  Meeting  House, 
built  in  1723.  In  1826  it  was  changed  to  Hicksites,  after  an 
American  Quaker  named  Hicks.  Two  years  later,  the  Orthodox 
built  the  Friends  Meeting  House  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Street. 
Both  were  destroyed  by  fire  on  the  same  night  in  the  spring  of 
1893.  Just  beyond  flows  the  Indian  Brook,  now  called  Seabury 
Creek,  on  whose  banks  the  celebrated  George  Fox  is  said  to  have  ad- 
dressed, in  1672,  the  first  Quaker  meeting  ever  held  in  America.  To 
the  west  is  the  St.  Peter's  Rectory  opposite  Glebe  Avenue,  standing 
on  land  forming  part  of  the  "Ancient  Glebe"  given  by  the  town  to 
the  church  in  1703,  and  otherwise  known  as  "Parsonage  Land." 

On  the  opposite  side  of  Westchester  Road  St.  Boniface  Inn  bore 
the  curious  inscription : 

No  Really  Destitute  Person  need  Pass  This  House  Hungry. 

Another  landmark  of  Westchester  is  the  shingle-sided  old 
fashioned  house,  west  of  the  Westchester  Creek  Causeway,  which 
was  used  as  a  country  store  where  almost  anything  under  the  sun 
could  be  purchased.  Tradition  has  it  that  a  young  man  once  jocosely 
asked  the  storekeeper — Sidney  B.  Bowne,  who  was  a  Quaker, — 
whether  he  had  a  pulpit  in  stock.  The  clever  shopkeeper  winked 
to  his  son  and  said :  "If  thee  will  go  up  in  the  garret,  thee  will  find 
Parson  Wilkins's  old  pulpit  behind  the  chimney." 


CHAPTER  XXII 


THE  OLD  TIMERS'  ASSOCIATION 

Men  Who  Have  been  Residents  of  The  Bronx  for  Fifty  Years  or  More-- 
An  Interesting  Chapter  By  its  Historian,  Sidwell  S.  Randall. 

S  a  vast  new  population  came  surging  into  The  Bronx, 
old  residents  who  had  lived  for  half  a  century  or 
more  in  the  comparatively  new  district  north  of  the 
Harlem  River,  became  slowly  and  by  degrees  aware 
of  the  fact  that  they  were  involuntarily  becoming 
strangers  in  a  land  where  they  had  resided  from  boyhood 
upward.  Indeed,  many  of  these  old  settlers  became  startlingly 
aware  of  the  further  fact  that  they,  who  but  a  few  years  previously 
were  the  owners  of  much  of  the  lands  in  the  old  towns  of  Morris- 
ania,  West  Farms,  Melrose,  East  and  Westchester  were  no  longer 
important  factors  in  the  territory  of  which  once  they  might  have 
been  said  to  be  "Lords  of  the  Manor."  In  few  words,  death  and 
change  and  time  had  apparently  deprived  them  of  their  identity 
and  status.  Naturally  this  altered  condition  of  affairs  reluctantly 
forced  the  knowledge  upon  them  that,  unless  they  combined  and 
formed  an  association  which  would  bring  together  in  a  close  fel- 
lowship the  older  members  of  the  community  in  which  they  were 
once  so  powerful  and  well  known,  they  would  be  lost  in  the  busy 
stirring  City  that  had  so  suddenly  sprung  up  all  around  and  about 
them. 

Acting  upon  this  conviction  a  number  of  old  citizens  met  to- 
gether one  evening  two  years  ago,  at  the  headquarters  of  the 
Exempt  Firemen  at  Third  Avenue  and  147th  Street  and  their  de- 
liberations resulted  in  the  formation  of  a  society  known  as  the 
"Old  Timers  of  The  Bronx,"  whose  end  and  aim  would  be  cordial 
amity,  friendship  and  the  promotion  of  the  best  interests  of  all  its 
members  socially  and  mentally.  The  sole  qualifications  of  admis- 
sion to  membership  in  this  organization  is  a  nominal  fee  and  a 
residence  in  the  Borough  of  over  fifty  years.  By  a  unanimous  vote 
Hon.  Louis  F.  Haffen  was  selected  as  its  first  President,  for  he  is 

183 


184 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


one  who  has  identified  himself  from  early  manhood  with  every 
local  improvement  that  has  made  our  Borough  more  wonderfully 
prosperous  and  beautiful  than  any  other  section  of  Greater  New 
York,  not  only  by  individual  efforts  on  his  part  but  also  by  serving 
with  conspicuous  ability  his  native  place  for  four  consecutive  terms 
as  its  Borough  President.  The  other  officers  elected  at  this  time 
were:   Julius  Heiderman,  1st  Vice-President;  Theodore  Weberg, 


Group  of  "Old  Timers" 

2d  Vice-President;  George  W.  Pouder,  Treasurer;  Daniel  A.  Mc- 
Cormick,  George  H.  Robert  Danfield,  Secretaries;  and  Sidwell  S. 
Randall,  Historian. 

As  matters  now  stand,  success  has  followed  every  step  of  its 
progress ;  its  meetings  are  largely  attended,  and  its  treasury  shows 
so  satisfactory  a  financial  balance  that  soon  it  will  have  a  local 
habitation  and  a  name  of  its  own  that  will  be  a  credit  not  only  to 
The  Bronx  but  also  to  the  City  at  large. 

It  should  be  added  that  every  class  of  religion  and  politics  is 
represented  in  this  club.    Some  of  the  older  generations  of  the  Old 


THE  OLD  TIMERS'  ASSOCIATION  185 

Timers  remember  the  period  when  a  few  hundrds  of  sturdy 
pioneers  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  future  towns  of  Melrose,  Mor- 
risania,  and  West  Farms,  which  are  now  populous  sections  of  the 
Greater  City. 

Among  the  important  objects  sought  to  be  carried  out  by  the 
Old  Timers  is  the  preservation  of  the  ancient  landmarks  of  the 
Borough  for,  unless  this  be  speedily  done,  every  vestige  of  many 
of  its  interesting  historical  mementoes  will  be  ruthlessly  destroyed 
or  obliterated  by  a  new  generation  who  apparently  neither  know  nor 
care  about  the  history  of  the  past.  Already  a  number  of  new  dwell- 
ers of  The  Bronx,  actuated  solely  by  commercial  instincts  and  per- 
sonal aggrandizement,  have  built  their  homes  on  spots  made  sacred 
by  the  deeds  of  our  ancestors.  In  cases  like  these  it  is  the  impera- 
tive duty  of  all  of  us,  before  it  be  too  late,  to  mark  by  tablets  places 
of  such  inestimable  value  not  only  to  the  antiquarian  but  to  every 
true  lover  of  his  country. 

In  addition  to  such  ends  and  aims,  old  monuments,  books, 
papers  and  documents  have  been  collected  by  the  Society,  and  will 
in  the  future  be  presented  to  appropriate  Municipal  authorities. 
Surely  such  footprints  in  the  sands  of  time  must  be  carefully 
guarded  lest  they  be  stamped  out  by  the  heedless  and  careless 
strangers  who  rush  in  where  angels  fear  to  tread. 

Again,  we  must, not  forget  the  old  families,  whose  habitations, 
tho  widely  scattered,  might  well  be  considered  mile-stones  in  the 
original  settlements  north  of  the  Harlem  River.  These  families 
have  representatives  in  the  Old  Timers  whose  members  served 
under  Grant,  Sherman  and  Sheridan  in  the  war  of  the  rebellion 
and  at  the  meetings  of  our  novel  Society,  these  old  soldiers,  compare 
their  experiences  on  many  hotly  contested  fields  in  the  far  south 
and,  with  one  accord,  propose  to  preserve  and  protect  the  burial 
places  of  the  martyrs  of  the  war,  many  of  which  the  City  authori- 
ties have  altogether  neglected  and  forgotten.  Nor  do  the  Old 
Timers  purpose  to  allow  the  present  generation  to  overlook  the 
invaluable  services  rendered  but  a  few  years  ago  by  the  Volunteer 
Fire  Department  of  the  Annexed  Wards  when  there  were  no 
bounds  to  the  district  this  department  considered  within  its  limits. 
Not  a  few  of  us  recall  incidents  of  those  days  when  in  search  ol 
fires  and  in  the  performance  of  their  duties  The  Bronx  firemen  took 
their  machines  as  far  south  as  Fourteenth  Street.  Naturally  a 
great  number  of  the  Old  Timers  are  exempt  firemen  in  the  broadest 


186 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


sense  of  the  word  and  they  are  proud  of  a  well-earned  record  for 
promptness  and  efficiency  in  cases  of  emergencies  in  summer,  win- 
ter, night  and  day. 

Tho  time  and  space  will  not  permit  the  writer  to  name  all  Old 
Timers  whose  fellow  citizens  have  honored  with  official  prefer- 
ments, he  would  not  willingly  omit  to  mention  its  Vice-President, 
Ex-Justice  Julius  Heiderman,  nor  that  able  jurist,  Hon.  John  J. 
Brady  of  the  Supreme  Court.  Again  my  narrative  would  be  in- 
complete did  I  not  allude  to  the  Berrians  and  the  Briggs  families 
whose  ancient  pedigree  and  homesteads  go  back  to  dates  whereof 
the  memory  of  man  runneth  not  to  the  contrary.  Josiah  A.  Briggs 
recently  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Borough  of  The  Bronx,  is  always 
to  be  seen  in  his  familiar  seat  in  the  front  section  of  Washington 
Hall,  the  present  Headquarters  of  the  Old  Timers,  an  interested 
partaker  in  the  deliberations  of  the  Association.  Also,  on  the 
platform,  gracing  his  position  as  one  of  the  officials  of  the  Old 
Timers,  Theodore  Weberg,  a  natural  born  orator,  commands  more 
than  ordinary  attention.  His  thrilling  description  of  his  campaign 
under  Grant  during  the  last  years  of  the  Civil  War  vividly  brings 
back  to  the  memory  of  all  his  hearers  a  critical  period  in  the 
history  of  the  world.  More  than  this,  he  has  done  much  to  im- 
mortalize the  heroic  bravery  of  many  of  his  fellow  townsmen,  whose 
unknown  graves  lie  somewhere  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac  and 
Appomattox  Rivers. 

One  great  benefit  will  accrue  from  the  incorporation  of  this 
unique  organization  and  it  will  result  in  the  reunion  of  old  com- 
panions who,  while  living  in  the  vicinity  of  one  another,  were, 
singularly  enough,  not  aware  of  the  fact,  for  in  all  large  cities  fre- 
quently intimate  acquaintances  ignorantly  and  unconsciously  as 
it  were,  reside  in  immediate  proximity  until  some  accidental  meet- 
ing reveals  the  truth  that  they  were  residents  of  the  same  street  or 
neighborhood.  Very  recently  the  writer  himself  met  his  former 
friend  James  Lyon  of  Tremont,  a  well-known  citizen  of  The  Bronx. 
Circumstances  had  separated  us  for  over  a  score  of  years,  and  yet, 
our  homes  were  but  a  short  distance  apart. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  the  Old  Timers,  at  their  monthly  meetings, 
discuss  in  an  amicable  spirit  the  strange  vicissitudes  and  changes 
that  time  and  fortune  have  wrought  in  the  various  destinies  of  their 
lives.  A  few  who  were  running  around  bare-footed  and  coatless 
for  lack  of  better  clothing  when  The  Bronx  was  comparatively  a 


THE  OLD  TIMERS'  ASSOCIATION 


187 


wilderness,  are  now  wealthy,  while  their  associates  who  were  then 
driving  their  horses  and  carriages  thru  its  thorofares  are  now  con- 
ductors on  our  City  Railroad.  And,  by  the  way,  in  those  early 
days  the  trolley  system  was  an  unknown  factor,  and  only  stages 
took  passengers  to  and  from  Manhattan  Island,  the  heavy  iron 
bridge  which  afterwards  spanned  the  Harlem  River  not  then  be- 
ing in  existence.  It  was  alleged  when  this  structure  was  built 
that  it  contained  enough  metal  to  support  two  of  its  nature  and 
kind  and  that  the  same  was  paid  for  by  the  pound  and  not  for  its 
entirety. 

Previous  to  the  date  of  its  construction,  a  venerable  wooden 
bridge,  too  often  useless  and  out  of  repair,  supplied  the  necessities 
of  the  then  out-of-town  settlers. 

Briefly  the  Old  Timers  may  be  characterized  as  infinitesmal 
atoms  in  the  ocean  of  humanity  around  and  about  them.  "The 
old  order  yieldeth  to  the  new,"  for  now,  alas,  the  members  of  this 
odd  fraternity  can  wander  for  hours  about  their  native  place,  where 
once  everybody  knew  them,  without  receiving  a  single  friendly  nod 
or  greeting  of  recognition  from  anyone. 

Before  concluding  my  epitome  of  the  novel  organization  of 
which  I  write,  let  me  say  I  would  very  much  like,  had  I  space  and 
opportunity,  individually  to  specify  all  its  members.  Our  genial 
and  overworked  secretaries,  Messrs.  McCormick,  Dyer  and 
Danfield,  however,  deserve  and  shall  receive  especial  commenda- 
tion for  the  cordial  interest  they  have  shown  in  its  present  and 
future  welfare.  And  the  same  may  be  deservedly  said  of  its  other 
officials,  George  W.  Pouder,  William  Huck  and  Josiah  A.  Briggs. 
What  is  very  gratifying  to  the  Old  Timers  is  the  kind  interest  the 
public  has  taken  in  its  end  and  aim  as  well  as  the  objects  it  seeks 
to  accomplish.  The  sympathy  that  their  fellow  citizens  extend  is 
not  only  very  pleasing  but  will  stimulate  our  organization  intelli- 
gently and  fittingly  to  carry  the  purposes  for  which  it  was  organ- 
ized. Possibly  it  may  prove  a  laudable  example  for  the  old  resi- 
dents of  the  other  boroughs  of  Greater  New  York  to  follow,  and  if 
so,  its  life  will  not  be  in  vain.  In  any  event  the  writer  hopes  its 
memory  will  not  terminate  with  the  lives  of  its  present  members. 


INDEX 


Adams,    Abigail    (Mrs.    W.  S. 

Smith)    138 

Adams,  George  Washington  . . .  138 
Adams,  President  John  137, 138,  139 
Adams,  Mrs.  John  Quincy  ....  139 
Adams,   President  John   Quincy  139 

Albany   5,10,64,168 

Albany  Post  Road  . .  .55,  64,  146,  16C 

Algonquin  Indians    148 

Allan,  John    152,153 

American  Army,  19,  20,  55,  61,  86. 
88,  108,  109,  112,  113,  126,  127,  128, 
146,  147,  149,  162,  163,  170 
American  Bank  Note  Company  .  41 


Amsterdam    10 

"Ancient  Glebe"    182 

Anderson,  Rev.  R   11 

Andre,  Major    149 

Andriessen,  Pieter    9 

Andros,  Governor  Edmund    13 

Annes  Hoeck  (Ann's  Neck)  122,  123, 
175,  177 

Annhooke   136,  173 

Aquahung    9 

Arnold,  General  Benedict,   164,  165. 
170,  171 

Asia,  British  Frigate    93 

Ayres,  Captain    149 

Baldwin,  Colonel   128,  129 

Bailey  mansion    161 

Barclay  mansion    54 

Barretto,   Francis   J   110 

Barretto  homestead    91 

Barretto's  Point    ...89,  90,  91,  110 

Bartow,  Basil    73 

Bartow,  Rev.  John   73,  180,  181 

Bartow,  Morley  Hale    181 

Bartow  mansion   173,  175 

Bathgate,  Alexander    68 

Bathgate  farm    68 

Baxter,  Capt.  Charles    144 

Beck,  Charles  Bathgate    143 

Beck      Memorial  Presbyterian 

Church    143 

Bedford    180 

Bedford  Park  40,  41,  109 

Beekman  mansion    115 

Belmont   21,  141 

Bensonia    21 

Bensonia  cemetery   81,  82 

Berrian's  Neck    4 

Betts,  Fletcher    87 


Bitter,  Karl    5 

"Black  Rock"    2 

Black  Swamp,  the    68 

Blauzes,   the    135 

Block,  Adrien   8,  9,  121 

Blythe   110 

Board  of  Trade,  North  Side,  24,  70 

Board  of  Education   73 

Boars'  Den    66 

Bolton,  Reginald  P  62,  72,  161 

Bonaparte,  Joseph    178 

Borough  Hall    68 

Boston  mansion    178 


Boston  Post  Road,  20,  55,  72,  140,  146, 
159 

Boston  Road,  37,  43,  55,  64,  75,  107 


143,  146,  160,  176 

Botanical  Gardens    65 

Boulevard  Lafayette   5,  57 

Bound  Brook    90 

Bowne  house    182 

Bowne,  Sidney  B   182 

Brady,  Hon.  John  J   186 

Brennan  house    150 

Bridges   29,  30,  45 

Broadway   45,  53,  54 

Bronx-Astoria   54,  55 

Central    (Macomb's  Dam),  50,  51 
52,  53,  54 

City   Island    133 

Farmer's  (Free,  Dyckman's,  or 

Hadley's)   47,  48,  53,  161 

Fourth  Avenue    53 

Harlem  (Third  Avenue),  48,  49,  53 

High    52 

Hudson  Memorial   5,  55 

King's,  20,  45,  46,  47,  50,  52,  53,  54, 
55,  62 

Lenox  Avenue    54 

Madison  Avenue    53 

New  York-New  Jersey    43 

Pelham   59,  120 

Putnam  railroad    at 

Ship  Canal    54 

Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek    45 

University  Heights    54 

Washington   53,  54 

Williams's    20 

Willis  Avenue    53 

Briggs,  Josiah  A   186,  187 

Brightside   142,  143 


British  Army,  19,  20,  65,  86,  88,  106, 
107,  108,  109,  112,  113,  127,  128, 
129,  146,  147,  161,  162 


189 


190 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Broadway  34,  35 

Broadway-Lexington  Avenue  sub- 
way  29,  31,  34,  35 

Bronck,  Antonia  Slagboom  ...  10,  119 

Bronck,  Frank  C   10 

Bronck,  Jonas,  4,  9,  10,  11,  12,  83,  119 
122 

Bronck,  Pieter  Jonassen   10 

Broncksland  12,  13,  119 

Bronk,  William  R   10 

Bronx  Beautiful  Society    70 

Bronx,  Borough  of  The,  1,  3,  5,  8,  9, 
21,  22,  23,  24,  25,  27,  28,  29,  30,  31, 
32,  33,  34,  35,  36,  38,  39,  41,  42,  43, 
44,  45,  54,  55,  56,  79,  81,  89,  95,  99, 
102,  106,  122,  178,  183,  184,  185, 
186,  187 

Bronx  Chapter,  D.  A.  R.  ...65,  130 

Bronx  County   25,  27,  33 

Bronx  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary  .  .  79 

Bronx  Hospital    79 

Bronx  Kills   19,  43,  54 

Bronx  Park,  2,  33,  43,  56,  66,  67,  68 
Bronx  River,  9,  20,  23,  28,  39,  40,  44, 

59,  67,  81,  89,  119,  129,  148,  156, 

157,  173 

Bronx     Society    of    Arts  and 

Sciences   67,  69 

Brown,   Chancellor   Elmer  Ells- 
worth  71,  74 

Brownson  Literary  Society    100 

Bryant,   Lieutenant    127 

Bungay  Creek    89 

Burgoyne,  Lieut.-Gen.  John,  158,  170 
Burr,  Colonel  Aaron,  108,  136,  149, 
156 

Bussing's  Point    49 

Byrnes,  Police  Inspector   82 

Cajenquirogoe    18C 

Caldwell,  Supervisor    145 

Calver,  W.  L   161 

Cammann,  Oswald,  estate    161 

Canal,  Erie   16,  45 

Harlem  Ship   42,  45 

Mott  Haven    21 

Carvel,  Governor    Ill 

Casanova    33 

Casanova  mansion    83 

Casanova, Yglesias   84,  85 

Castle  Hill  Neck   121,  122 

Cemeteries,  75,  80,  81,  82,  91,  136,  144 
Central  Union  Gas  Company  ...  42 

Chandler,  Rev.  Dr   121 

Charles  1   173 

Charles  II  12,  174 

Charter  of  Liberties    93 

Chastellux,  Marquis  de    162 

Chateauneuf,  Marquis  de    147 


Chatterton  Heights    147 

Cherry  Point    12€ 

Chimney  Sweeps,  The   135 

Christian  Brothers    120 

Church  of  the  Holy  Nativity  . . .  147 

Churches   76,  136,  143,  147 

City  History  Club    64 

City  Island,  47  ,77,  129,  130,  133,  134, 

135,  175,  178,  179 

City  Island  Road   58,  129,  178 

Civil  War,  The,  70,  82,  144,  145,  186 

Claremont   21,  70 

Claremont  Park  56,  57,  68,  69 

Clark,  Daniel    72 

Clason,  Isaac    120 

Clason's  Point  37,  119,  120 

Clason's  Point  Inn    120 

Clason's  Point  Military  Academy,  75, 

120 

Clemm,  Mrs  152,  153 

Clemm,   Virginia,    (Mrs.  Edgar 

Allan  Poe),  .  ..  69,  151,  153 

Clinton,  Gen.  and  Gov.  George,  17, 

47,  139,  147,  169 

Clinton,  General  James    147 

Clinton,  Martha  (Mrs.  Havens)  .  147 

Cock  Hill  Fort    160 

Cole,  John    125 

Colen,  Donck    157 

Coles,  John  B   48 

College  of  the  City  of  New  York  99 

Collins  mansion   175,  176 

Collins,  Thomas   122 

Colonial  Dames,  Society  of   62 

Columbia  University   15,  99 

Commissioners  of  Forfeiture  ...  48 
Committee  of  Public  Safety,  15,  93, 

169 

Congress,  Continental,  15,  16,  20,  128, 

158,  163,  164,  170 

Congress,  Federal   138,  171 

Constitution,  Federal    16 

Constitution,  State    16 

Convention,  Constitutional    16 

Convention  of  Towns    90 

Cook,  Walter    5 

Cooper,  Rev.  Myles    121 

Cornell,    Sarah     (Mrs.  Thomas 

Willett)    119 

Cornell,  Thomas   119 

Cornell's  Neck   119,  122 

"Cornfield  Neck"    91 

Corsa,  Andrew    109 

Cortlandt  Manor  167,  168,  170 

Cortlandt  manor-house,  168,  169,  17C 

Cosby,  Gov.  William   13,  14 

Cousten,  Josiah    122 

Cox's  Tavern    53 

"Cradle  of  Cuban  Liberty,"  The.  .  83 


INDEX 


191 


Crawford  house    139 

Crippled  Children,  class  for   73 

Crippled  Children's  Association  .  173 

Crombie,  Thomas  J   56 

Cromwell,  Elizabeth    122 

Cromwell  house   69,  122 

Cromwell,  James   122 

Cromwell,  John    122 

Cromwell,  Lord  Protector  Oliver,  12. 
122 

Croton  Bay    168 

Croton  River   52,  156,  168 

Crotona  Park   56,  57,  68,  69 

Crotona  Parkway    68 

Crystal  Palace    66 

Cunningham,  Capt.  William,  115,  116 
117 

Cunningham,  Mrs   144 

Curtis,  Captain    129 

Danfield,  George  H.  Robert  .184,  187 

Daughters  of  Jacob  : . . .  18 

De  Brant  von  Trogen    9 

Decatur,  Commodore  Stephen  . . .  135 
Declaration  of  Independence,  14,  15 
169 

De  Lancey,  Col.  James,  14,  106,  108 
141,  162 

De  Lancey's  Block  House    108 

De  Lancey's  Corps   108,  161,  162 

De  Lancey's  Pine    108 

De  Long,  Lieut.-Col   81 

De  Voe  Park    57 

De  Voe's  Point    49 

"Devil's   Stepping  Stones"    131 

De  Vries,  Pietrus  Rudolphus  . .  156 

Dongan,  Governor    168 

Drake,  John    180 

Drake,  Joseph  Rodman,  95,  96,  97,  98, 
100 

Drake,  Samuel    135 

Duke  of  York  (James  II.),  13,  174, 
175,  176 

Dunderberg,  The    75 

Dutch,  4,  10,  11,  12,  13,  94,  123,  124, 
156,  157,  173,  174 

Dutch  burial-ground    75 

Dutch  East  India  Company,  4,  9,  175 

Dutch  farmhouse    108 

Dutch  garden    63 

Duyts,  Laurens    9 

Dyckman,  Abraham   108 

Dyckman,  Jacob    47 

Dyckman,  Michael    108 

Eastchester,  20,  72,  96,  135,  138,  139, 
180,  181,  183 

Eastchester  Bay   128,  177 

Eastchester  Creek   139,  140 


East  Morrisania    21 

East  River,  45,  53,  89,  96,  106,  113 
119 

Echo  Park   57,  69 

Eckford,  Henry    96 

Eden  mansion    78 

Edsall,  Samuel    12 

Edsall,  Thomas  Henry    165 

Elton,  Robert  H   81 

Eltona    21 

E»imaus    9 

Eustis,  James   135 

Exempt  Firemen   183,  185 

Faile,  Charles  V   Ill 

Faile,  E.  G   Ill 

Fairmount    141 

Farragut,  Admiral  David  G.  . . .  81 

Federal  Building    43 

Ferris,  Benjamin    182 

Ferris  graveyard    181 

Ferris,  John    122 

Ferris  mansion    122 

Ferris,  Mrs.  Sarah   179 

Fish,  R.  Bronck    1C 

Fitzgerald,  Edward   72 

Fitzgerald,  Louis    56 

Fletcher,  Governor  Benjamin,  13,  18f 
Fordham,  55,  75,  89,  141,  150,  153,  154 

Fordham  Church   69,  154,  159 

Fordham  Company  of  Minute  Men,  93 

Fordham  Heights    73,  161 

Fordham  Hospital   76,  78,  79 

Fordham  University  75,  109 

Forster    14 

Fort  Cock  Hill    160 

Fort  George    161 

Fort  Independence,  63,  146,  160,  161, 
162,  166 

Fort  Number  One    160 

Fort  Number  Two   160 

Fort  Number  Three    16C 

Fort  Number  Four    16C 

Fort  Number  Five    161 

Fort  Number  Six    161 

Fort  Number  Seven    161 

Fort  Number  Eight  75,  161,  162 

Fort  Prince  Charles    160 

Fort  Schuyler    126 

Fort  Swartout    16C 

Fort  Totten    126 

Fort  Tryon    161 

Fort  Washington   126,  160,  161 

Fort  Washington  Point    6 

Fowler,  Henry    180 

Fox  Corners    141 

Fox  farm  house    141 

Fox,  George    182 

Fox,  George,  mansion    110 


192 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Fox  Hills    91 

Foxhurst    141 

Fox,  William  W   142 

Franz  Sigel  Park  57,  69 

Fraunce's  Tavern    8 

Friends  Meeting  House    182 

Ganley,  J.  V   33 

Gates,  General    17C 

Gaynor,  Mayor  William  J   24 

George   III   181 

George'  Point    169 

Gibbs,  L.  G   33 

Giles,  William  Ogden   160,  165 

Glenn,  Henry    15S 

Glover,  Charles    72 

Glover,  Colonel  John,  3,  58,  128,  129 
130 

"Glover's  Rock"   3,  58,  130 

"God's  Acre"   98,  102 

Godwin,  J.  H   58 

Goose  Island    135 

Gott,  Mr   73 

Gouverneur,  Sarah   (Mrs.  Lewis 

Morris)    14 

Graham,  Isabella    14 

Graham,  Jones    180 

"Grange,"  The  Hunt  92,  95,  96 

Grant's  Tomb    99 

"Gray   Mare"    178 

Great  Eastern,  The    86 

Great  Kill    9 

Great  Minniford's  Island   133 

Great  Neck    114 

"Grosjean"    139 

Grove  Farm  Patent,  The  90,  122 

Grovehill    21 

Guion  Inn    139 

Gun  Hill  Road    33 

Hadley,  George   48 

Hadley  house    64 

Hadley,  Joseph    92 

Haffen,  Hon.  Louis  F.,  24,  25,  26,  183 

Haight,  Nicholas    133 

Hale,  Captain  Nathan,  112,  114,  115, 
116,  117 

Halifax,  British  Flagship    115 

Half  Moon,  The  4,  5,  6,  8 

Hall,  Edward  Hagaman   161 

"Hall  of  Fame"   75,  155 

Halleck,  Fitz-Greene    97 

Halsey  mansion   138,  139 

Hamilton,  Alexander   17,  136 

Hand,  Colonel  Edward    127 

Hand's  Riflemen    127 

Hardenbroeck,    Margaret  (Mrs. 

Frederick  Philipse)    156 

Harlem   '  49,  127 


Harlem  Heights   112,  114 

Harlem  Heights,  Battle  of    126 

Harlem  River,  9,  20,  21,  29,  30,  31, 
33,  35,  37,  43,  45,  48,  49,  50,  51,  52, 
56,  75,  77,  133,  156,  161,  162,  183, 
184,  187 

Harrison,  President  William  H.  132 


Hart  Island   134,  175 

Haskin,  John  B   145 

Haven  House    147 

Hawkins,  Mr   181 

Haughten,  Charles  W   21 

Hazen,  Lieut.-Col.,  Moses    170 

Heath,  General  William,  19,  20,  106, 

127,  146,  162 

Heathcote,  Col.  Caleb    180 

Heidermen,  Julius   184,  186 

Hell  Gate   17,  112 

Hemlock  Grove   66 

Henderson's    Island    178 

Henly,  Major    20 

Hessians   62,  128,  161,  162,  177 

Hicksites    182 

Higgins,  Hon.  Thomas  J.  . .  .25,  71,  98 

High   Bridge    52 

Highbridge   34,  35,  41,  50,  161 

Highbridgeville    21 

High  Island   134,  175 

High  School,  Gouverneur  Morris,  70 

76 

Hoe,  Peter    143 

Hoe  Octuple  Press    143 

Hoe,  Col.  Richard  March  . . .  142,  143 

Hoe,  Robert    142 

Hoe  Rotary  Press    142 

Hoit,  Moses    135 

Holler's  Pond    14C 

Holmes,  James    15S 

Home  for  the  Friendless    8C 

Home  Guards    106 

Home  for  Incurables   78,  79 

Hospitals   76,  79 

Horton,  George  W   133 

Horton   Farm    135 

Horton  Homestead    135 


Howe,  Admiral  Lord,  59,  67,  120,  12? 
Howe,  General  Sir  William,  3,  58,  106, 
114,  115,  126,  127,  129,  148,  158, 


159,  176,  179 

Howe  Chestnut   59,  177 

"Huckleberry  Road"    121 

Hudson,  Henry   3,  4,  5,  6 

Hudson  Memorial  Bridge   5,  55 

Hudson   Monument    5 

Hudson  River,  5,  31,  54,  55,  57,  75, 

77,  97,  127,  156,  157,  160,  168 

Huguenots   2,  139,  175 

Hunnewell,  Captain    108 


INDEX 


193 


Hunt  Burying-ground  90,  98,  101 

Hunt  Inn    141 

Hunt,  Josiah    12f 

Hunt,  Montgomery    92 

Hunt,  Judge  Ward    9f 

Hunt,  Thomas  (First),  90,  91,  92,  9<? 
122,  123 

Hunt,  Thomas  (Second),  90,  91,  92, 
94,  141 

Hunt,  Thomas  (Fourth),    93 

Hunt's  Point,  33,  39,  41,  89,  90,  92, 

96,  97,  102,  122,  143 
Hunt's  Point  Road,  89,  90,  91,  112, 

143 

Hunter,  Elias  des  Brosses    178 

Hunter,  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  De  Lan- 

cey)    178 

Hunter  Island   175,  178 

Hunter,  John   134,  178 

Hunter's  Island  Inn    178 

Huntington  Estate    131 

Hussar,  British  Frigate,  8(5,  87,  101 

Hustace,  Joshua    133 

Hustace  House    147 

Hutchins,  Waldo    56 

Hutchinson,  Anne,  58,  122,  123,  124, 

125,  136,  173 

Hutchinson,  Frances   124,  12r 

Hutchinson  River,  43,  59,  123,  128, 

129,  135 

Hyatt  Farm    148 

Hyatt's  Tavern   •.   159 

Indian  Brook    182 

Indian  Cave   ,.   106 

Indian   Field    65 

Indian  Lake    67 

Indians,  1,  2,  4,  5,  6,  8,  15,  59,  60,  61 
64,  69,  89,  95,  106,  119,  120,  123 
124,  125,  135,  136,  148,  156,  168, 
169,  170,  173,  174,  178,  180 
Interborough  Rapid  Transit  Com- 
pany  34,  35 

Inwood    161 

Irving,  Washington   7,  97 

Iselin,  Columbus    178 

Iselin   Mansion    178 

"Jack's  Rock"    3 

Jackson,  Colonel    20 

James  II.   (Duke  of  York),  13,  174, 
175,  176 

Jay,    Frances    (Mrs.  Frederick 

Van  Cortlandt)    61 

Jay,  Chief  Justice  John  61,  149 

Jenkins,  Stephen   135,  158 

Jessup,  Edward   89,  90,  110,  141 

Jessup,  Elizabeth   (Mrs.  Thomas 

Hunt,  Jr.)   90,  92 

Jessup,  Maj.-Gen.  Thomas  Sidney,  9C 


Joseph  Rodman  Drake  Park,  57,  102 

Jumel,   Madame    156 

Jumel  Mansion  114,  156 

Ketcham,  John    92 

Kieft,  Governor  Wilhelm,  60,  123,  167 

"King's  Arms"   103,  104 

"King's  Battery,"  The    161 

Kingsbridge,  34,  47,  128,  146,  158,  159, 

160,  162,  163,  165,  169 
King's  Bridge,   (See  Bridges) 
King's  Bridge  Road  .  .'<  .  .55,  108,  161 

King's  College   15,  121,  156,  17C 

"Kissing  Bridge"    100 

Knowlton,  Lieut.-Col   114 

Knyphausen,  General  von,  148,  160, 

177 

Kuyter,  Jochem  Pietersen   ....9,  11 

Laaphawachking    178 

Lafayette  Avenue   89,  100 

Lafayette   Boulevard    57 

Lafayette  Lane    100 

Lafayette,  Marquis  de,  17,  100,  152, 
171 

Lancaster,  Walter    135 

Landing  Road   90,  91 

Lasher,  Colonel    160 

Laurel  Hill   161 

Lawrence  House    65 

Lebanon  Hospital    77 

Lee,  Maj.-Gen.  Charles,  128,  129,  13C 

Leggett  Dock    110 

Leggett,  Gabriel  (First),  89,  90,  92, 
110,  141 

Leggett,  Gabriel   (Second)    ..90,  106 

Leggett,  Helmingino    110 

Leggett's  Lane    88 

Leggett,  Thomas  106,  107,  11C 

Legislature,  Colonial    55 

Legislature,  State,  14,  32,  48,  49,  56, 
165,  171 

Leisler,  Governor  Jacob  168,  175 

Leisler's  Rebellion    167 

Lewis,  Rev.  Isaac    143 

"Lexington  of  Westchester,"  The  127 

Libraries    8C 

Lincoln,  Gen.  Benjamin  ....146,  162 

Lincoln  Hospital    77 

"Little  Mothers"  Society    178 

"Little  Neck"    91 

Livingston,   Philip    132 

Livingstone,   Janet    (Mrs.  Rich- 
ard Montgomery)    163 

Livingstone,  Judge  Robert  R.  . . .  163 

"Locusts,"  The    112 

Long  Island,  43,  74,  90,  99,  100,  121, 
128,  135 

Long  Island,  Battle  of    113 


194 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Long  Island  Sound,  8,  37,  43,  45,  78, 
84,  86,  90,  99,  114,  126,  173,  177 

Long  Neck   91 

Longwood  Club  House    87 

Lorillard  Mansion   67,  79 

Louis  Philippe  d'Orleans    17 

Lydig  Estate    2 

Lynch,  Dominick    120 

Lyon,  James   186 

Macedonia,  English  Frigate  ....  135 

Macedonian   Hotel    135 

Macomb,  Alexander   49,  53 

Macomb  Mansion    53 

Macomb,  Robert   49,  50 

Macomb's  Dam  Bridge  ....51,  52,  54 

Macomb's  Dam  Park  43,  57,  69,  80 

Mamaroneck   34,  143,  180 

Maminepoe    173 

Manhattan,  Borough  of  .  .  .57,  84,  134 

Manhattan  Indians    1 

Manhattan  Island,  4,  7,  8,  20,  30,  35, 

45,  47,  55,'  60,  113,  123,  126,  133, 

145,  160,  187 

Manufacturing  32,  41,  42 

Marble  Hill   159,  160 

Mark  Twain  House    65 

Marsh,  Luther  R   56 

Marshall,  Justice    14S 

Marshall's  Corners    134 

Martin,  Francis    33 

Mather,  Warren    180 

Mathewson,  Douglas    33 

McCormick,  Daniel  A  184,  187 

McGraw,  Nicholas    21 

McLean,  George  W   56 

Meachem,  Robert    90 

Melrose  21,  145,  183,  185 

Mercury,  The    87 

Mill  Brook   14,  15,  18 

Miller,  Hon.  Cyrus  C.  .  .24,  43,  44,  70 

Minnewit's  Island    133 

Minuit,  Gov.  Peter    133 

"Mishow  Rock"    178 

Mohawk  Indians    123 

Mohegan  Indians    1 

Monroe,  President  James    93 

Montgomery  House    166 

Montgomery,  Gen.  Richard,  160,  163, 

164,  165 

Montgomery,  Sarah  (Lady  Rane- 

lagh)    16E 

Montressor's   Island,    (See  Ran- 
dall's Island) 

Morgan,  Governor  E.  D  126 

Morgan,  Joseph   180,  181 

Morgan,  Joseph,  House    135 

Morris,   Anna    68 

Morris  Dock    51 

Morris  Family   19,  68,  7? 


Morris,  Gouverneur   (First),  15,  16, 

17,  18,  19,  20,  68 
Morris,  Gouverneur  (Second),  17,  68 
Morris,  Gouverneur,  Mansion,  17,  19, 

109 

Morris,  Mrs.  Gouverneur  (Anne 

Cary  Randolph)   17,  18 

Morris,  Colonel  Lewis (  First),  12,  IF 
Morris,    Judge    Lewis  (Second, 

called  Senior)   12,  13,  14,  73 

Morris,  Lewis  (Third,  called  Jun- 
ior)  14,  IE 

Morris,  Gen.  Lewis  (Fourth,  the 

Signer)   14,  15,  121 

Morris,  Lewis  G  50,  51 

Morris,  Mary    1? 

Morris  Park    33 

Morris,  Capt.  Richard    12 

Morris,  Hon.  Richard    14 

Morris,  Col.  Roger   155,  156 

Morris,  Roger,  House   114,  15f 

Morris,  Gen.  Staats  Long  14,  15 

Morris,  William  H.,  Mansion  ...  18 
Morrisania,  14,  15,  18,  19,  20,  21,  49, 
82,  108,  141,  145,  162,  183,  185 

Morrisania,  Old  9,  13,  15,  21,  128 

Morrisania  Manor   13,  14 

Morrisania  Mansion    65 

Mosholu   '  34,  61 

Mosholu  Parkway   57,  65 

Mott  Haven  20,  21,  98  (note) 

Mott  Haven  Canal    21 

Mott,  Jordan  L  20,  21 

Mount  Eden    141 

Mount  Hope,    141 

Mount  Vernon    33 

Mullay,  John  .  .  .   56 

Municipal  Art  Commission    5 

Muschenheim,  William  C,  5,  158,  16C 

Na  ppeckamok    T 

National  Cash  Register  Company  4< 

"Neutral  Ground,"  The    lOf 

New  Amsterdam,  8,  12,  13,  119,  123, 

157,  167,  174 

New  Jersey   12,  13,  15,  178 

New  Netherland    174 

New  Rochelle,  2,  20,  33,  42,  57,  98, 

143,  146,  175,  178 
New  York  Catholic  Protectory  . .  7£ 
New  York  City,  20,  23,  24,  27,  30,  32, 

35,  47,  49,  52,  55,  56,  57,  62,  73,  86, 

96,  99,  119,  134,  159,  163,  167,  169, 

170,  180 

New  York  Edison  Company  ...  41 
New  York  Province,  12,  13,  15,  175, 
179 

New  York  Public  Library    8C 

New  York  State,  28,  33,  108,  158,  169, 
170 


INDEX 


195 


New  York  Telephone  Company..  42 
New  York  University,  71,  73,  74,  161, 
162 

Nicolls,  Gov.  Richard,  89,  122,  136, 
174,  175 

Niles,  William  W   5C 

Nimham,  Chief    65 

Nip-inehsen    4 

Nonpareil,  The   50,  51 

North  Brother  Island   78,  86 

North  Carolina,  Frigate    133 

North,  Lord    67 

O'Brien,  J.  F   33 

Odell's  Barns    135 

Ogden  Mansion    178 

Old  Point  Comfort    139 

Old  Timers'  Association  .183,  186,  187 

Old  Trinity  Church   2 

Onrust,  The    8 

Oostdorp   173,  174 

Orchard  Beach    57 

Orthodox  Quaker  Meeting  House,  182 

Palmer,  Benjamin    47 

I'aparinemo   6,  46 

Park  Department   57,  69 

Parks  32,  40,  56,  70 

Parkways  33,  43,  59,  66,  68 

Parsball,  James  L   82 

Parsons,  General    146 

"Parsonage  Land"    182 

Pasture  Hill  Burying  Ground  . .  181 

Paulding,  Captain    149 

Paul  Homestead  .'   131 

Peabody  Home   80,  108 

Peekskill    6 

Pelham  Bav  Park,  3,  33,  35,  57,  59, 
128,  178 

Pelham  Bay  Park,  3,  33,  35,  56,  57, 

59,  128,  176,  178 

Pelham  Bridge   59,  130 

Pc'ham  Manor,  34,  57.  128,  133,  145, 

173,  175,  176,  177,  180 

Pelham  Neck   122,  123,  175,  177 

Pelham  Parkway   33,  43,  57 

Pelham  Road   130,  131 

Pelham,  Township  of,  175,  176,  177 

Pell,   Benjamin    176 

Pell   Family    182 

Pell  Family  Burial-ground   ....  175 

Pell,  Isec    176 

Pell,  James  K   176 

Pell,  John   174,  176 

Pell,  John,  D.D  175,  176 

Pell,  Joshua    176 

Pell  Manor-House   175,  176 

Pell's  Point   128,  148 

Pell's  Point,  Battle  of  129,  162 


Pell,  Thomas,  57,  133,  135,  173,  174, 
175,  176 

Pell  Treaty  Oak    173 

Penfield  Homestead    148 

Perry,  Commodore    147 

Philipse,     Eva     (Mrs.  Jacobus 

Van   Cortlandt)    168 

Philipse,  Frederick,  45,  46,  47,  156, 

157,  168 

Philipse,  Frederick  (Third),  156,  157 

Philipse  Manor-House   155,  156 

Philipse,  Mary  (Mrs.  Roger  Mor- 
ris)  155,  156 

Philipseburgh,   Manor   of,   155,  156, 
168,  169 

Pinckney,  Philip    135 

"Planting  Neck"   91,  94,  106 

Poe  Cottage   69,  150,  153 

Poe,  General  David    152 

Poe,  Edgar  Allan,  69,  150,  151,  152, 

153,  154,  155 

Poe  Park   57,  69 

Polak,  Edward    33 

Pole,  Sarah    12 

Population   23,  24,  29,  30 

Port  Morris  21,  33,  45,  54,  85,  86 

Pot  Rock    86 

Pouder,  George  W  184,  187 

Presbyterians   76,  143 

Prescott,  Col.  William    127 

Provincial  Assembly,  46,  59,  168,  176 
Provincial  Congress,  15,  158,  159,  163, 

169 

Public  School  Number  Four  ....  74 

"Pudding  Rock"    2 

Pugsley's  Creek    121 

Pulitzer,  Joseph    81 

Putnam,  Col.  Rufus   160 

Quakers   13,  14,  182 

Quaker  Ridge    33 

Quebec  14,  163,  164,  165,  171 

Queen  Anne   137,  181 

Qitinnahung   91,  123 

Railroads   24,  30 

Baltimore  and  Ohio   54 

Elevated   35,  37 

New  York  Central.  34,  40,  42,  160 
New  York,  New  Haven  and  Hart- 
ford, 9,   15,   17,  33,  42,  54,  83, 
134 

New    York,    Westchester  and 
Boston,  33,  34,  37,  140 

Pennsylvania    54 

Ranachqua   9,  10 

Randall,  Sidwell  S  183,  184 

Randall's  Island   19,  20,  54,  109 

Randolph,  John    17 

Rasberry,  Capt.  William  J  145 


196 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Rat  Island    135 

Rattlesnake  Brook    140 

Read,  Colonel   128,  129 

Real  Estate,  21,  25,  26,  27,  29,  36,  39 

Reid  Homestead    140 

Reid,  John   140 

Reid's  Mill   140 

Rensellaerswyck   10,  60 

Renwicks,  The   50,  51 

Rhinelander,  T.  J.  0   63 

Rhinelander  Sugar-House  Prison,  63 
115 

Richardson,      Elizabeth  (Mrs. 

Gabriel  Leggett)   89,  92,  110 

Richardson,  John,  89,  90,  91,  110,  141 

Riverdale   34,  168 

Riverside  Hospital   78 

Robinson,  Colonel    155 

Rochambeau,  Count  de   62,  109 

"Rocking  Stone"   2,  66 

Rodman,  Samuel    178 

Rodman's  Neck  ...133,  134,  175,  178 
Roman    Catholic   Orphan  Assy- 

lum    161 

Romayne,  Di\  Nicholas   96 

Rose  Hill  Manor-House    109 

Rowe,  Captain    63 

Rye    180 

Sackhoes    6 

Sackwrahung    89 

Sacred  Heart  Academy    120 

Scarsdale    33 

Scarsdale  Manor    146 

Schools   32,  73 

Schulz,  G.  M   33 

Schwab,  Julius  H   162 

Schwab   Mansion    162 

Schuyler,   General    163 

Schuyler,  Gertrude  (Mrs.  Steph- 

anus  Van  Cortlandt)    168 

Scott,  General    146 

Screven,  John    120 

Screven's  Point    120 

Seabury  Creek    182 

Seabury,  Nathaniel    73 

Seabury,  Rev.  Samuel   73,  121 

Seton  Hospital    78 

Shahash    13 

Sheard,  Moses  G   145 

Sheldon,  Mrs   154 

Shepard,  Colonel   128,  129 

Shippen,  Margaret   (Mrs.  Bene- 
dict Arnold)    171 

Shorackkappock    6 

Shute,  Thomas    140 

Sigel,  Gen.  Franz   69 

Simcoe,  Lieut.-Col.  John  G.   . .  .  65 

Sint  Sine  Indians    1 

Siwanoy  Indians,  1,  57,  121,  135,  173 


Smith,  John    133 

Smith,  Mathew    142 

Smith,  Peter    142 

Smith,  Col.  W.  S  137,  138 

Snakapins    119 

Snake  Hill    109 

Society  for  the  Propagation  of 

the  Gospel,  72,  73,  180,  181 
Society  of  St.  Vincent  de  Paul  .  .  80 
Soldiers'  Monument,  West  Farms,  141 

Somler  House   65 

"Split  Rock"   3,  123 

"Split  Rock"  Road   3,  58,  176 

Spuyten  Duyvil,  4,  6,  7,  34,  78,  157, 

158,  160 

Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek,  4,  5,  6,  7,  43, 

46,  48,  50,  57,  61,  156,  160 

Spuyten  Duyvil  Hill    160 

Spuyten  Duyvil  Parkway  5,  57 

Spuyten  Duyvil  Road    160 

"Spy  House"    143 

"Spy  Oak"   131 

Staats,    Elizabeth    (Mrs.  Lewis 

Morris)    14 

Stanton,  Joseph    140 

Stewart,  A.  T   82 

Stockbridge  Indians   65,  148 

Stoll,  Jacob  Jans   10,  119 

Story  of  the  Bronx,  The  . . .  135,  158 

Stuyvesant,  Gov.  Peter   173,  174 

St.  Ann's  Avenue   17,  18 

St.  Ann's  Episcopal  Church  ...18,  69 

St.  Boniface  Inn   182 

St.  James  Park   57,  68 

St.  John  the  Divine  Cathedral  .  .  99 

St.  Joseph's  Hospital   77,  78 

St.  Luke's  Hospital    99 

St.  Mary's  Park   57,  69 

St.  Paul's  Church,  Eastchester  136, 

137,  139,  181 
St.  Paul's  Church,  Manhattan  .  .  165 
St.  Peter's  Church,  Westchester,  121, 

179,  181,  182 

St.  Raymond's  Cemetery    82 

Subways   29,  31,  34,  36,  41 

Sunnyside    143 

Swartout,  Col.  Abraham    160 

Synagogs  18,  76 

Tackamuck    9 

Taekmuck  Indians    1 

Talman,  Pierre  C   145 

Tamnierlane  and  Other  Poems  .  .  153 

Tankiteke   Indians    1 

Taxpavers'  Alliance  ...24,  25,  26,  27 

"Ten  Farms,"  The   135 

Tennant.  William    143 

Tetard  Farm    161 

Tetard's  Hill    159,  160 

Theaters    36 


INDEX 


197 


"The  Bronx"   95,  96 

"The  Raven"   150,  155 

Throckmorton,  John  119,  123,  124 

Throw's  Neck,  40,  120,  123,  126,  127, 
128,  131,  132 

Tippet's  Brook  58,  61, 

Tippet's  Hill  159,  160 

Tiffany,  Charles  L   56 

Tiger,  The   8 

Tompkins,  Nathaniel    135 

"Treaty  Oak"    58 

Tremont   36,  141,  145 

Trvon,  Governor    169 

"Twelve  Farms,"  The    92 

Twin  Islands   175,  178 

Underhill,  Capt.  John    122 

Union  Hospital    78 

Unionport    120 

Union  Railroad  Company    22 

Ursuline  Convent   77 

United  Provinces    3 

United  States,  1,  29,  73,  75,  90,  145, 
165 

United  States,  U.  S.  Frigate   135 

University  Park   57,  69 

Upper  Cortlandt    146 

Valentine  House  145,  146 

Valentine's  Hill    129 

Van  Alst,  Pieter    10 

Van  Corlaer,  Anthony    7 

Van  Corlear,  Arendt  . ,  10,  60 

Van  Cortlandt,  Augustus  61,  169 

Van  Cortlandt  Family,  ..61,  167,  169 

Van  Cortlandt,  Frederick    62 

Van  Cortlandt,  Jacobus  .64,  168,  169 

Van  Cortlandt,  James    159 

Van  Cortlandt  Lake    60 


Van  Cortlandt  Mansion,  ..61,  63,  64 
Van  Cortlandt,  Oloff  Stevenson,  167 
Van  Cortlandt  Park,  33,  34,  40,  57,  59, 

60,  61,  65,  146,  167,  169 
Van  Cortlandt,  Philip  ..169,  170,  171 
Van  Cortlandt,  Pierre  ..169,  170,  171 


Van  Cortlandt,  Pierre,  Jr.  .  .  171,  172 
Van  Cortlandt,  Stephanus,   167,  168, 
169 

Van  der  Donck,  Adrien  ..7,  60,  157 

Varian,  Isaac,  Homestead    145 

Vault  Hill   61 

Vermilyee,  Thomas    47 

Verveleen,  Johannes    45 

Vincent,  Elijah    136 

Vincent,  Gilbert    136 

Vincent-Halsey  Mansion  ....136,  138 
Volunteer  Fire  Department  ....  185 
Vriedelandt   123,  173,  174 


Wakefield   35,  148 

Walworth,  Chancellor    51 

War  of  1812    145 

Ward,  Andrew    135 

Ward  Bread  Company    41 

Ward's  Island    54 

Ward,  Samuel   135 

Woodstock   21,  141 

Warren,  Elizabeth  103,  104,  105 

Warren  Sage  House    160 

Warren,  Simon    103 


Washington,  George,  3/  15,  16,  17,  46, 
47,  58,  61,  62,  65,  93,  100,  108,  109, 
112,  113,  114,  115,  126,  127,  128, 
129,  130,  137,  139,  146,  147,  148,  152, 
155,  156,  157 

Washington  Bridge   53,  54 

Washington  Bridge  Park  57,  69 

Washington's  Gun  House    148 

Washington  Hall    186 

Washingtonville    148 

Watson  Estate  2,  39,  119 

Webb.  William  Henry    75 

Webb's  Academy  and  Home  ....  75 

Weberg,  Theodore   184,  186 

Weckquaesgeek  Indians,  1,  10,  106, 
123 

Wells,  Hon.  James  L.  Wells,  25,  71, 
102 

Westchester,  35,  72,  73,  99,  104,  119, 
121,  122,  144,  156,  173,  174,  179, 
180,  182,  183 

Westchester  Avenue,  35,  37,  38,  39, 
43.  77,  119,  142,  179 

Westchester  County.  10,  14,  15,  45, 
49,  55,  59,  106,  107,  110,  123,  128, 
141,  142,  157,  158,  159,  175,  176, 
177,  180 

Westchester  Creek  43,  121,  127 

Westchester  Golf  Club   3,  119 

Westchester  Guides   109 

Westchester   Path    54 

Westchester  Turnpike    143 

West  Farms,  34,  35,  78,  92,  93,  108, 

109,  141,  143,  144,  145,  173,  183, 

185 

West  Farms  Cemetery   144 

West  Farms  Patent   89 

West  Farms  Presbyterian  Church  143 

West  India  Company  7,  167 

West  Morrisania    21 

White  Plains,  3,  15,  33,  55,  58,  127, 
128,  129,  147,  148,  157,  169,  177 

White  Plains,  Battle  of   59,  157 

Whiting  Mansion    78 

Whitlock,  Benjamin  M   83 

"Whitlock's  Folly"    84 

Whitman,  Mrs.  Sarah  Helen,  151,  153 
Wild  Boar  Hill    63 


198 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX 


Wilkins  Creek    121 

Wilkins's  Farmhouse    121 

Wilkins,  Rev.  Isaac  ..121,  182 

Wilkins,  Gouverneur  Morris  . . .  121 

Willett,  Elizabeth    102 

Willett's  Point    126 

Willett,  Thomas    120 

William  III  13,  168 

William  IV   62 

Williams,  John    147 

Williams,  Roger   119,  122 

Williamsbridge,  35,  141,  145,  146,  147, 
159 

Willis,  N.  P   154 

Winthrop,  Gov.  John    174 

"Wishing  Rock"    148 

"Wishing  Seat"    157 

Wolfe,  Catherine  Lorillard    79 

Wolf's  Lane    176 


Woodbridge,  Major    108 

Woodlawn    35 

Woodlawn  Cemetery   20,  40,  81 

Woodlawn  Heights    40 

Woodlawn  Road  35,  145,  147 

Woodside    Ill 

Wooster,  General    146 

Wykagyl   ». .  34 

Yates,  Robert   159 

Yonkers,  5,  7,  35,  40,  60,  155,  156,  157, 
169,  180 

Zborowsky  Farm    68 

Zborowsky  Mansion    68 

Zborowsky,  Martin    68 

Zerega  Mansion    122 

Zerega's  Point    122 

Zoological  Gardens  65,  66,  77 


